On Trial America's Courts and Their Treatment of Sexually Abused Children

This book, the first to examine the experience of child victims & their families who attempt to seek justice in America's courts, offers practical reforms that would bring greater sensitivity & justice to the legal process. Reviewing American legal history & the equivocal treatment of children & sex crimes, Dziech & Schudson explain how current courtroom procedures often fail to acknowledge a child's abilities & needs, & how child witnesses are often re-victimized by the legal system that is supposed to help them. They argue that there is no justification for subjecting abused children to a second round of trauma -- in court. This important book recommends sweeping changes to assure justice for children, their families, & those accused of harming them.

Billie Wright Dziech, is assistant to the dean and professor of language arts at the University of Cincinnati. She has lectured widely on sexual harassment, women's issues, and higher education Charles B. Schudson is a Wisconsin Circuit Court judge and a member of the faculties of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges and the National Judicial College. He is considered the nation's foremost expert on new laws and techniques that affect children in the courtroom