Special attention was focused on the criminal justice system's treatment of child sex abuse victims. The analysis, based on raw data from the American Bar Association's 1981 mail survey of prosecutorial practices used with child victims, identified jurisdictions implementing progressive approaches in working with child victims. Of these jurisdictions, Des Moines, Iowa; Milwaukee, Wis.; Orlando, Fla.; and Ventura, Calif.; received indepth investigations. Legislative issues addressed and procedures used in these jurisdictions pertain to the competency of child witnesses, the exclusion of trial spectators, avoidance of direct confrontation, videotaped depositions and statements, special exceptions to hearsay, and the use of expert witnesses. Other innovations are the use of victim advocates and the streamlining of the adjudication process. Reforms favored by this study include the abolition of special competency requirements for children and the adoption of special hearsay exceptions to admit certain out-of-court statements. Appendixes contain guidelines for interviewing child victims, conditions for the use of videotaped testimony, and guidelines for such videotaping. Tables and exhibits.
Downloads
Related Datasets
Similar Publications
- Criminal Justice System Urine Drug Testing Programs in Drug Use Forecasting (DUF) System Cities: A Preliminary Study
- New Approach to Interviewing Children: A Test of Its Effectiveness
- Changing Patterns of Drug Abuse and Criminality Among Crack Cocaine Users: Criminal Histories and Criminal Justice System Processing: A User's Guide to the Machine-Readable Files and Documentation, Original Instruments, and Codebook