NCJ Number
162223
Journal
Criminal Justice and Behavior Volume: 23 Issue: 2 Dated: (June 1996) Pages: 338-357
Date Published
1996
Length
20 pages
Annotation
Significant legislation was passed by the Canadian Government in 1988 and 1993 to improve the handling of cases involving child sexual abuse victims.
Abstract
Changes resulting from the legislation were expected to bring about more successful prosecutions, better protection for children, and less traumatic court experiences. Despite some improvements, the potential for secondary victimization of child victims in court increased and the need to properly prepare children to give evidence was highlighted. In response, Canada funded two pilot projects on court preparation for child witnesses, and one project is detailed. The Child Witness Project at the London Family Court Clinic was the first court preparation program to formally evaluate the benefits of offering individual stress reduction and education sessions to child witnesses as part of a court preparation protocol. The authors conclude that child sexual abuse victims involved in the criminal justice system require adequate preparation and coordination on the part of prosecutors, police, and child protective service workers to ensure their cases are dealt with an integrated and child-focused manner from the moment of disclosure through sentencing and beyond. 36 references and 2 tables