Criminal investigation of child sexual abuse: a comparison of cases referred to the prosecutor to those not referred
| Autor: | Delores D. Stroud, Julia Barker, Sonja L Martens |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2000 |
| Předmět: |
Adult
Male Child abuse medicine.medical_specialty Adolescent New Mexico Victimology Population Poison control Suicide prevention Criminal investigation Developmental and Educational Psychology medicine Humans Child Psychiatry education Referral and Consultation Aged education.field_of_study Child Abuse Sexual Middle Aged Psychiatry and Mental health Sexual abuse Child Preschool Child sexual abuse Pediatrics Perinatology and Child Health Female Psychology |
| Zdroj: | Child Abuse & Neglect. 24:689-700 |
| ISSN: | 0145-2134 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/s0145-2134(00)00131-9 |
| Popis: | Objective: The present study sought to identify characteristics of child sexual abuse cases which differentiate cases referred for criminal prosecution (“criminal-action”) from those not referred (“dropped”) by investigators. Method: The study sample consisted of 1043 children who completed a forensic interview for sexual abuse that allegedly occurred at the hands of an adult between January 1, 1993 and December 31, 1996 in Bernalillo County of New Mexico. Data was systematically obtained from forensic interview files and offender records at the local prosecutor’s office. Results: Differences between criminal-action and dropped cases were found in relation to the children (age, sex and ethnicity), the alleged offenders (age, sex and relationship to child), and the case characteristics (disclosure and injury to the child). Conclusions: The present study provided insight into the characteristics of a previously ignored population (reported child sexual abuse cases that are not referred for prosecution). Recommendations are made to address the needs of these children and their families. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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