SPECIAL ISSUE -- CHILD TRAUMA

The Impact of Trauma on Child Development
By Frank W. Putnam

Abstract: A growing body of research links childhood experiences of abuse and neglect with serious life-long problems including depression, suicide, alcoholism and drug abuse, and major medical problems such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.  Two basic processes, neurodevelopment and psychosocial development, are affected by early abuse and neglect.  Scientists have begun to understand the mechanisms through which these adverse experiences alter child development and produce pernicious mental, medical, and social outcomes.  These insights have opened opportunities to intervene to prevent maltreatment and to mitigate its effects.  Future success depends on the greater dissemination and refinement of these interventions.

Pathways from Traumatic Child Victimization to Delinquency: Implications for Juvenile and Permanency Court Proceedings and Decisions
By Julian D. Ford, John Chapman, Judge Michael Mack, Geraldine Pearson

Abstract: Research studies and observations by mental health and judicial professionals suggest that childhood traumatic victimization may contribute to the development of juvenile delinquency.  Based on this evidence, we describe a chronological pathway that runs from: (a) early childhood victimization, to (b) escalating dysregulation of emotion and social information processing (“survival coping,” which takes the form of depression, anxiety, social isolation, peer rejection, and conflicted relationships), to (c) severe and persistent problems with oppositional-defiance and overt or covert aggression compounded by post-traumatic reactivity and hypervigilance (“victim coping”). A case vignette is provided, and implications for judicial review and decisions are discussed.

The State of the Debate about Children’s Disclosure Patterns in Child Sexual Abuse Cases
By Erna Olafson and Judge Cindy S. Lederman

Abstract: In current research studies about the disclosure patterns of sexually abused children, experts agree that most victims delay disclosure for years, often until adulthood.  Researchers disagree about disclosure rates and recantation rates among children during formal interviews. Studies of children who had not previously disclosed but are known through corroborative evidence to have been sexually abused show lower rates of disclosure than do studies of children who had disclosed prior to the formal interview. Gradual disclosures among children are common, and more than a single interview may be necessary in some cases. Prior disclosure, level of support by non-offending parents, developmental level, and relationship to perpetrator affect children’s rates of disclosure and their disclosure patterns. More research is necessary to clarify children’s post-disclosure recantation rates and predictors.

Medical Evidence and Expert Testimony in Child Sexual Abuse
By Lori D. Frasier and Kathi L. Makoroff

Abstract: Expert medical testimony in child sexual abuse cases can be critical to the outcome of a  legal case. This article will review the development of the medical knowledge and clinical expertise in child sexual abuse. Since the passage of mandatory child abuse reporting laws, the forensic medical examination of a child for evidence of sexual abuse has become standard.  Until recently, many myths regarding female genital anatomy existed but were based primarily on dogma and lack of empirical research. Over the past 25 years, many research studies and accumulating clinical evidence have expanded medical knowledge and debunked old myths. Physical evidence, even in cases of alleged genital or anal penetration is rare. Sexually transmitted infections are also uncommon and often require medical interpretation as to their significance in a prepubertal child. Specialized medical knowledge, training, and clinical expertise have developed in order to evaluate children presenting with allegations of sexual abuse. Such medical expertise provides invaluable service to courts. We review criteria for evaluating such expertise in light of current medical practice. 

Children Exposed to Domestic Violence: Making Trauma Informed Custody and Visitation Decisions
By Patricia Van Horn and Betsy McAlister Groves

Abstract: This article explores the risks for young children and the challenges for courts that emerge when parents who are victims or perpetrators of intimate partner violence seek court decisions on child visitation or custody matters. We focus particularly on children age five and younger, a group that is disproportionately represented in families affected by intimate partner violence, and especially vulnerable to its traumatic impact. We examine the literature on children’s response to violence between their parents and the literature on parental alienation, a counter-charge that may arise when one parent alleges violence as a reason to limit the other parent’s access to the children. We look at challenges faced by both mental health professionals and courts involved in custody determinations and make policy recommendations to help courts make trauma-informed decisions that best serve children.

Protecting and Supporting Children in the Child Welfare System and the Juvenile Court
By Barbara Ryan, Judge Cynthia Bashant, and Deena Brooks

Abstract: The impact of childhood trauma can be substantial and long term. Prevention of additional trauma should be the guiding principle for all professionals working with children in the child welfare and juvenile court systems. This article addresses ways these two systems can protect and support children before they enter the courtroom. This is accomplished by obtaining, sharing, and utilizing a complete trauma history on the child, as well as putting measures in place to protect against system-generated trauma. It will also address how to reduce the trauma associated with testifying using psycho-educational programs, and involving a caring, sensitive judge.

Trauma Interventions and Systems Change in Rural Areas: The Role of the Juvenile Court Judge in Collaboration with Mental Health Professionals
By Judge Tom Kliebert, Joy D. Osofsky, Howard J. Osofsky, Richard N. Costa, Patrick Drennan, Patricia Morse, and Edward Morse

Abstract: This article will focus on the evolution of the collaborative work of the Louisiana Rural Trauma Services Center (LRTSC), a Center within the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, and the 23rd Judicial District, a jurisdiction in south Louisiana serving three rural parishes. We will describe how the collaboration and joint efforts, and the changes that have been made in terms of availability of evaluation and treatment resources, seem to be influencing both the educational and judicial systems in St. James Parish and potential sustainability of some of the identified resources. The article will examine how the court and LRTSC work together with emphasis on the evaluation, reporting and recommendation processes, outcomes and benefits to date, and challenges for the future.