This article provides the story--from the outside and the inside with a before and after--of an award-winning school psychologist, Rosario Pesce, who faced a professional dilemma midway in his career that led to litigation that went all the way to the federal Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. The article consists of (1) the facts of the case,…

Role conflict has been an issue in the intervention of child abuse cases since the beginning of the alliance drawn between the legal and mental health professions. In child abuse cases, clearly defined roles will prevent an attack on the process, thereby providing successful interventions to protect children. The child advocacy center concept is…

Cross, Fine, Jones, and Walsh's (2012) article "Mental Health Professionals in Children's Advocacy Centers: Is There Role Conflict?" challenges two recent publications' criticisms that child advocacy centers create role conflict for mental health professionals and explains how child advocacy centers actually work, describing the different roles…

Determining whether a child was sexually abused is a tremendous clinical and legal challenge. In litigation, abuse is established--proven--with evidence. Evidence includes testimony from witnesses, hearsay statements, documents, and physical evidence such as semen, genital injury, and fingerprints. There are two types of witnesses: lay witnesses…

This historical review recounts the case of Emily Thompson, a New York City child abused in 1871, in which Henry Bergh, an animal rights advocate, intervened. The perpetrator was found guilty but the child was sent back to the same abusive home. The case is seen as seminal in the early history of the child protection movement. (DB)

The statement reviews experience of the Department of Justice with cases of child abuse in institutions, discusses the extent of the problem, and proposes some remedies for prevention of abuse of institutionalized children. The decisions of four court cases in three states are reported to demonstrate the type of child abuse occurring in…

Discusses two questions raised by sexually abused children's involvement in the legal system: competency to testify; and procedural and evidentiary reforms to protect child witnesses. Reviews relevant psychological research. Recommends that children be permitted to testify without prior qualification. (Author/BH)

Guidelines are offered for child protection workers who are appearing in court as expert witnesses. Guidelines include be objective, be accurate, stick to the area of expertise, don't get manipulated by lawyers, don't be greedy, and maintain one's expert witness work as a minor part of one's professional activities. (JDD)

A response to Mayo and Isralowitz's critique of the juvenile justice system, this delineates the nature and intent of proposed changes in the juvenile court system. (CM)

Discusses child sex abuse cases from a prosecutor's view with particular emphasis on the Little Rascals Day Care Center case (Edenton, NC). The author addresses issues that can lead to a successful prosecution, such as pretrial preparation and having witnesses approach the jury with clear, concise statements. (JPS)

Discusses reasons that the Little Rascals Day Care Center case (Edenton, NC) was successfully prosecuted, including picking witnesses to testify according to their verbal ability, challenging the judge's decision to try the defendants together, and keeping victims' parents informed. One prosecutor developed a "court school" to familiarize child…

Discusses potential reasons for successful prosecutions in the Little Rascals Day Care Center case (Edenton, NC), most notably how little time elapsed between the testimony of the children and the decision of the jury. Other cases around the country have not been successfully prosecuted, perhaps because of the victim testimony timing. (JPS)

Examines the Little Rascals Day Care Center case (Edenton, NC) from the viewpoint of a therapist who worked with some of the children involved. The role of therapist is a difficult one in these cases as the definition of a therapist is stretched to include that of evidence-gatherer, and patient confidentiality is compromised. (JPS)

The medical director of a child protection center reflects on the unique problems of the therapist involved in court litigation and how these cases have changed the definition of the role. Therapists need to work with others involved in the case to minimize the harmful effects of such cases. (JPS)

Recent litigation of child abuse cases indicates that two contradictory policies compete for court approval. One policy would reduce the amount of intervention into abusive families on grounds of privacy. The other seeks to maintain and expand channels of investigation and treatment. Journal Availability: American Academy of Pediatrics, P.O. 1304,…