NCJ Number
100291
Journal
University of Miami Law Review Volume: 40 Issue: 1 Dated: (November 1985) Pages: 209-216
Date Published
1985
Length
8 pages
Annotation
The way that Madison County (Alabama) has redesigned its system for handling cases of child sexual abuse emphasizes its focus on the needs of the child victims rather than on the needs of agencies and professionals.
Abstract
Initiated by the prosecutor's office with involvement of a community task force, the changes developed from the awareness that the current system was revictimizing the children and their families as a result of the multiple interviews in different agencies, lack of communication among the involved professionals, and other problems. The initial change was to a team review approach. Recognizing that this change was inadequate, a community task force established a multidisciplinary, child-focused program, the Children's Advocacy Center. The Center is located in a house and has both a physical design and service delivery that are tailored to the children's needs. In interviewing children and providing services, the effort is to make the children feel that the Center is their special place. Initial interviewing leads to referral of children and sometimes their families to therapy. Less than half the reported cases are referred to the criminal justice system. The therapist and an advocate from the prosecutor's office are involved in making the criminal justice involvement a beneficial one for the child and family who, in appropriate cases, are also involved in the decision regarding whether the case should go to the criminal justice system. A diversion program is also part of the system, providing coercion for treatment and reducing children's needs to testify in certain cases. A manual detailing the community approach and completion of an evaluation by July 1986 are planned.