Abused and neglected children in court: Knowledge and attitudes
Abused and neglected children in court: Knowledge and attitudes
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DOI：
10.1016/j.chiabu.2010.02.003
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发表时间：
2010-09-01
影响因子：
4.8
通讯作者：
Goodman, Gail S.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Block, Stephanie D.;Oran, Howard;Goodman, Gail S.
目标：在受虐待儿童被保护性拘留后，抚养法院决定儿童的安置。许多（如果不是大多数）受虐待的儿童从未参加抚养权法院的听证会。我们有难得的机会采访一个司法管辖区的儿童，那里的儿童经常参加抚养法院的拘留听证会。我们的主要目标是评估受虐儿童的知识和态度，他们的法院的经验，并确定预测。我们还研究了如果虐待儿童希望更多地参与依赖法院decisions.Methods：后立即参加他们的依赖法院听证会，7至10岁的孩子接受了采访，他们的知识，态度有关，并参与依赖法院。信息也提取了从儿童的依赖法院的档案。结果：缺乏了解和消极的态度是常见的。年龄预测法院知识，年龄，焦虑，法院知识，虐待类型，刑事法院转介预测的态度。定性研究结果包括，一个相当少的孩子不觉得相信或听，大多数孩子想回到家.Conclusions：这项研究是相关的，目前的辩论在何种程度上儿童应参与法律的决定。研究结果表明，受虐待的儿童可能会受益于更好地了解依赖法院。此外，研究结果表明，儿童往往希望有更大的影响力，在依赖法院decisions.Policy的影响：专业人员应考虑提供儿童参与依赖法院听证会与年龄相适应的信息有关的法律的程序。儿童也可在抚养权听证会上直接或间接（通过其律师）表达自己的愿望和需要。(C)2010爱思唯尔有限公司保留所有权利。
Objective: After maltreated children are taken into protective custody, dependency courts determine the children's placements. Many, if not most, maltreated children never attend their dependency court hearings. We had the rare opportunity to interview children in a jurisdiction where children regularly attend their detention hearings in dependency court. Our main goals were to assess maltreated children's knowledge and attitudes about their court experiences and identify predictors thereof. We also examined if the maltreated children desired greater participation in dependency court decisions.Methods: Immediately after attending their dependency court hearings, 7- to 10-year-olds were interviewed about their knowledge of, attitudes concerning, and participation in dependency court. Information was also extracted from the children's dependency court files.Results: Lack of understanding and negative attitudes were common. Age predicted court knowledge, and age, anxiety, court knowledge, abuse type, and criminal court referral predicted attitudes. Qualitative findings included that a substantial minority of children did not feel believed or listened to, and most children wanted to return home.Conclusions: This research is relevant to current debates about the extent to which children should be involved in legal decisions. The results suggest that maltreated children may profit from greater understanding of dependency court. Moreover, the findings indicate that children often wish to have greater influence in dependency court decisions.Policy implications: Professionals should consider providing children involved in dependency court hearings with age-appropriate information about the legal proceedings. Children may also benefit in dependency hearings from the opportunity, directly or indirectly (through their attorneys), to give voice to their wishes and needs. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.