On Trial America's Courts and Their Treatment of Sexually Abused Children

by DZIECH, BILLIE WRIGHT

• ISBN13: 9780807004159
• ISBN10: 0807004154
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1991-05-31
• Publisher: Beacon Press

Summary

This book, the first to examine the experience of child victims & their families who attempt to seek justice in America's courts, offers practical reforms that would bring greater sensitivity & justice to the legal process. Reviewing American legal history & the equivocal treatment of children & sex crimes, Dziech & Schudson explain how current courtroom procedures often fail to acknowledge a child's abilities & needs, & how child witnesses are often re-victimized by the legal system that is supposed to help them. They argue that there is no justification for subjecting abused children to a second round of trauma -- in court. This important book recommends sweeping changes to assure justice for children, their families, & those accused of harming them.

Author Biography

Billie Wright Dziech, is assistant to the dean and professor of language arts at the University of Cincinnati. She has lectured widely on sexual harassment, women's issues, and higher education Charles B. Schudson is a Wisconsin Circuit Court judge and a member of the faculties of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges and the National Judicial College. He is considered the nation's foremost expert on new laws and techniques that affect children in the courtroom

Table of Contents

Introduction to the Second Edition	p. ix
Preface	p. xi
Acknowledgments	p. xix
Children in Jeopardy: Sexual Abuse and the Legal System	p. 1
Yesterday and Today: A Brief History of Children in the Courts	p. 21
Children's Reality: Integrating Developmental Psychology into the Legal System	p. 41
There Ought to Be a Book: A Case Study	p. 73
The Trial: Conflicting Concepts in a Crowded Jury Box	p. 126
Justice for Children: Meeting the Challenge	p. 163
McMartin: The Final Chapter	p. 182
Resources	p. 207
Notes	p. 222
Select Bibliography	p. 245
Index	p. 253
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