Child maltreatment victims' attitudes about appearing in dependency and criminal courts |
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| Institution: | 1. University of California, Davis, Department of Psychology, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA;2. University of Massachusetts, Lowell, Psychology Department, 113 Wilder Street, Suite 300, Lowell, MA 01854, USA;3. University of California, Los Angeles, Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital, 760 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA;4. University of California, Irvine, Department of Psychology and Nursing Behavior, 4328 Social and Behavioral Sciences Gateway, Irvine, CA 92637, USA;5. California Department of Public Health, 850 Marina Bay Parkway, 3rd Floor, Richmond, CA 94804-6403, USA;1. University of Maryland School of Social Work, 525 W. Redwood St., Baltimore, MD 21201;2. National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, P.O. Box 8970 Reno, NV 89507 |
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| Abstract: | In the present study, we investigated the attitudes of maltreated children involved in court hearings. Specifically, this pilot research examined whether type of abuse (sexual vs. physical vs. neglect), type of court (dependency vs. criminal), and child and abuse characteristics predicted child victims' feelings about seeing defendants in court and answering questions in the courtroom. Data were collected from interviews with the children and from their court files. Results indicated that greater negativity about seeing defendants in the courtroom was significantly predicted by testifying as a sexual abuse victim in criminal court and by being female regardless of court system, whereas greater positivity about seeing defendants in the courtroom was predicted by appearing in dependency court hearings as a physical abuse victim. In addition, greater severity of maltreatment and older age of the children were significantly associated with greater negativity about answering questions in court. Implications for future research are discussed. |
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