Handbook of Children in the Legal System

This handbook brings together the relevant literature on children and their developmental characteristics, the legal venues in which they may appear, and the systemic issues practitioners must consider to provide a thorough guide to working with children in the legal system. Featuring contributions from leading mental health and legal experts, chapters start with an overview and history of the juvenile justice system along with discussion of critical developmental areas imperative to consider for work with children, and idiosyncratic issues that arise. The book ends with a case presentation section that illustrates the varied roles and venues in which children appear in the legal system. An extended bibliography provides additional resources and literature to investigate specific topics in greater length. This accessible and useable guide is designed to appeal to a broad range of people encountering children in the legal system, including social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, attorneys, and judges. It will also benefit professions such as law enforcement as well as probation officers, child protective workers, school personnel, and medical personnel.

Ginger C. Calloway, PhD, is a clinically trained psychologist whose areas of forensic expertise include evaluation for Atkins' cases, evaluations of juveniles, evaluations for various legal competencies, and specific areas of consultation to attorneys. S. Margaret Lee, PhD, is a psychologist whose work focus is providing services to divorcing families and family law attorneys. Dr. Lee is a frequent presenter at national and international conferences in different areas of psychology/family law.

Introduction; PART ONE: Overview; Section I: Overview of Juvenile Justice System; Chapter 1: The Push-Me-Pull-You of Juvenile Justice; Chapter 2: A View from the Bench: Perspectives from a Former Juvenile Court Judge; Section II: Developmental Variables; Chapter 3: Children's Memory for Forensically Relevant Experiences; Chapter 4: Navigating Tricky Waters: Understanding and Supporting Children's Testimony About Experiencing and Witnessing Violence; PART TWO: Assessemnt; Chapter 5: Assessment: Methods, Measures, Protocols, and Report Writing; PART THREE: Case Studies; Chapter 6: Out of Home Care: Depending on the Kindness of Strangers; Chapter 7: Attachment Relationships for Attorneys: Using Expert Testimony to Guide the Courts Determination of Children's Best Interests in Family Court Cases; Chapter 8: Considerations when Working with Central American Immigrant Children in the Legal System; Chapter 9: Adolescent Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in the Civil Arena; Chapter 10: Interviewing Children about Sexual Abuse; Chapter 11: Interpersonal Violence and Children; Chapter 12: Giving Voice to Children in Non-Traditional Families; Chapter 13: Hague Convention Cases; Chapter 14: Resist Refuse Dynamics in Family Law with a Young Child; Chapter 15: A Case of Juvenile Homicide with Complex Issues of Mental Illness and Developmental Disorder; Chapter 16: The Role of Advocates for Children in Dependency Court; Appendices; Bibliography.