The National
Insitute of Justice published the first edition of When the Victim Is a Child
in 1985. Since then, the investigation and prosecution of child sexual abuse have
advanced in many areas. To share important new information as widely as possible,
NIJ commissioned this report, which incorporates these advances and discusses
recent and emerging issues in this sensitive field. This Second Edition of When
the Victim Is a Child reviews new research on the consequences of child sexual
abuse, the capabilities of children as witnesses, and the impact of the court
process on child victims. The report also analyzes pertinent statutes and case
law, including two 1990 U.S. Supreme Court opinions with particular relevance
to child sexual abuse prosecutions.
The report is intended primarily for judges. NIJ believes, however, that it will prove useful to a wide range of professionals who work with child victims in the pursuit of justice.
For ordering information, please search the National Criminal Justice Reference Service Abstracts Database: http://www.ncjrs.gov/abstractdb/search.asp.