Years of psychological research has demonstrated that the use of investigative interviewing methods based on up-to-date scientific evidence is important to ensure the reliability of child witnesses' statements. Ideally, professionals working with children are equipped with knowledge of memory functioning, as erroneous beliefs may impact how they…

While children and adolescents generally do not have the right to vote, marry, or sign contracts independently, they are often held responsible for their crimes. In spite of this, some parents of minor victims file civil suits against parents of the youth responsible for the harm. The courts must then decide to what extent, if any, parents are…

Analysis of child sexual abuse images, commonly referred to as pornography, requires a familiarity with the sexual maturation rating of children and an understanding of growth and development parameters. This article explains barriers that exist in working in this area of child abuse, the differences between subjective and objective analyses,…

In May 2008, the Supreme Court addressed whether the government can regulate the ownership and distribution of virtual child pornography. "U.S. v. Williams" marked the first time the Court directly addressed the concept of pandering virtual child pornography. This article examines the Court's decision in "U.S. v. Williams" and…

Human trafficking and various other forms of child sexual exploitation on the United States-Mexico border are described from social science and law enforcement perspectives, including current laws and definitions, case examples, and descriptions of victims and traffickers. The Southern Border Initiative of the AMBER Alert Project is outlined as…

Objective: Many children in the US who are court-ordered to live in out-of-home care are placed with kinship caregivers. Few studies have examined the impact of living with kin on child well-being. This study examined the relationship between length of time living with kin and indices of adolescent well-being in a cohort of children who were…

The aim of the book is to serve for clinical, practical, basic and scholarly practices. In twentyfive chapters it covers the most important topics related to Autism Spectrum Disorders in the efficient way and aims to be useful for health professionals in training or clinicians seeking an update. Different people with autism can have very different…

The law enforcement perspective concerning the credibility and truthfulness of allegations of ritual child sexual abuse is discussed. The differences in levels of proof needed by parents, therapists, social workers, and police are described. (BRM)

The Internet opens a vast array of communication, entertainment, and educational resources for children; however, it also opens a gateway to home and school for offenders who wish to exploit children. A convenience sample of 225 cases published in the news media was examined. The cases were classified using law enforcement terminology to describe…

These House hearings deal with a number of similar bills prohibiting the sexual exploitation of children and the transporting in interstate and foreign commerce of photographs of film depicting such exploitation. These practices, including physical sexual abuse of children of both sexes and all ages, are seen to be proliferating. The hearings…

This handbook was written to heighten public awareness and understanding about child abuse and to serve as a practical aid for persons who work with children, who are in the field of child abuse prevention, and who are mandated to report suspected cases of child abuse under the California Child Abuse Reporting Law. It provides an overview of the…

In response to requests from law enforcement professionals for guidelines on investigating child abuse and neglect, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention developed the Portable Guides to Investigating Child Abuse series. This document is a synposis of each Portable Guide and provides annotated bibliographies of the series. The…

Interviews were conducted with child protection administrators in 43 states. More than half in states with large declines of cases of substantiated sexual abuse were unaware of any discussion of the declines within their agency or state. Possible causes for decline included increased evidentiary requirements and increased caseworker caution.…

The case of apparent ritual sexual abuse of children in a community in the Netherlands is described in terms of the children's stories, behaviors, and physical symptoms and the community's reaction to reactions of police and other professionals. Suggestions are made for improving interviews and evaluations of such types of sexual abuse. (BRM)

This study of police and hospital records for 451 intrafamilial/caretaker child sexual abuse allegations in Chicago, Illinois, found that few children had to appear as witnesses, as 95% of cases were resolved through plea bargaining. Trial resolution took 12 to 16 months. Of 77 felony complaints initiated, 48 ended in convictions, with 43 convicts…