To avoid further traumatizing child victims, the idea of child-friendly courtroom settings and practices has taken hold in recent years. Describe and discuss these practices

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The law provides for a child advocate to assist and support children victims of abuse, called guardians ad litem. These individuals are either attorneys or volunteers and they can submit their recommendations to the court about what would be in the child's best interest. Another advancement is the perceptions of children as credible witnesses in the case against their abuser. A judge normally will make a determination whether a child understands the difference between truth and lies, understands the seriousness of the proceedings, and whether the child can remember the incident(s) in question. The trauma a court case can have on a child has also been recognized as now courts provide testimony of children from another room so they do not have to confront their abuser directly. While some argue this is a constitutional violation of the defendant's, the United States Supreme Court has held providing alternatives to direct confrontation is permissible in certain circumstances. Interviews of child victims has taken new approaches to reduce harm. Investigators now use dolls to facilitate their understanding of the case. Other jurisdictions use drawings. Finally, rooms used to interview children are now decorated playrooms and criminal justice professionals take the time to orient the child to the courthouse and courtrooms.