NCJ Number
112397
Date Published
1987
Length
13 pages
Annotation
As part of an ongoing study of factors impacting on child testimony in child sexual abuse cases, interviews were conducted with representatives from protective services, police, and prosecutors' offices in 15 diverse jurisdictions.
Abstract
In the 11 jurisdictions for which child abuse investigation data were obtained, 5 models of interagency cooperation could be identified. In all but one jurisdiction, police and child protective services must report to each other, and police must report to the prosecutor. Statutory requirements concerning interagency reports varied among jurisdictions. In 7 of the jurisdictions, child protective services are mandated to report to the prosecutor. All 11 jurisdictions had at least the option of a joint protective service-police response to child abuse reports. In most jurisdictions, statistics on cases referred to prosecutors, indictments, plea negotiations, cases tried, convictions, and sentences were unavailable. Where statistics were available, there was great variation among jurisdictions. For instance, between 43 and 532 individuals were charged in a year, 2 to 90 percent of cases went to trial, and time from arrest to sentencing ranged from 3 months to 2 years. Of 21 innovative prosecutorial techniques covered in the survey, jurisdictions had statutory provisions for between 12 and 19 of them. The most common included use of age-appropriate language, expert testimony, leading questions, and videotaped testimony; special confidentiality provisions; and victim advocate programs. 20 references.