This report presents the following research summaries pertinent to legal interventions in child maltreatment cases: seven studies on children’s testimony, four studies on the prosecution of child abuse and neglect cases, two studies on sentencing, one study on the impact of domestic violence on children’s behavior, and one study of parental drug testing in child abuse and neglect cases. The report also includes research on legal interventions in elder abuse cases: two studies on coordination and collaboration in dealing with such cases and a paper on recommended guidelines for state courts that handle cases of elder abuse. July 1998; $3 (NCJ 171666); NIJ. www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles/171666.pdf

Trust and estate attorneys encounter domestic violence victims and homicide survivors. Civil rights attorneys encounter victims of assault, rape, and hate crimes. Personal injury attorneys encounter victims of drunk driving crashes and other personal crimes. Attorneys need to understand the dynamics of victimization and know how to refer their clients to appropriate victim services. Promising efforts by the legal community to respond to the needs of crime victims are highlighted in this bulletin, with emphasis on increasing victim access to the criminal justice system, assisting victims of violence and abuse, and helping communities. August 1998; Free (NCJ 172820); OVC.
www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/new/directions/pdftxt/bulletins/bltn10.pdf