NCJ Number
106136
Editor(s)
D C Bross,
L F Michaels
Date Published
1987
Length
264 pages
Annotation
Intended for the lawyer or caseworker entering the field of child advocacy, this book presents 12 papers on the roles of the attorney, caseworker, and pediatrician in child abuse cases, presenting guidelines for investigation and trial participation.
Abstract
Papers on child health, development, and pathology review the parameters of child development in relation to abuse and neglect, the pediatrician's role in diagnosing child maltreatment, the social worker's role in assisting and treating children and their families, and definitions of abuse and neglect from a legal perspective. Papers on the legal aspects of child representation consider the importance of child advocacy in court, evidentiary issues likely to be encountered by the child's representative, and ways to handle a case when the child testifies or the attorney decides not to have the child testify. Papers also provide guidance for working with expert witnesses and representing children in divorce custody cases. Other issues addressed are liability considerations for those serving children and the need for accountability in the child's representation. Practical advocacy aids, standard guidelines for the guardian ad litem and for custody and dispositional hearing in abuse and neglect cases, and legal forms are provided. Chapter footnotes and subject index.