Browsing by Author "Zero Abuse Project"
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Item CAST: Building the Capacity of Undergraduate and Graduate Programs to Train Child Protection Personnel Project(Zero Abuse Project, 2023) Zero Abuse ProjectThis Report outlines the findings and major recommendations identified from the grant-funded survey data and review of current undergraduate and graduate course catalog offerings. The findings and recommendations will be used to expand and revise Zero Abuse’s CAST Program Plan; guide the creation of six CAST Toolkits; and inform a CAST Faculty Implementation Guide. Enclosed herein are the results of the survey project and the preliminary findings from the course catalog review.Item Child Statement and Forensic Interview Admissibility(Zero Abuse Project, 2022) Zero Abuse ProjectThis guide was developed to equip entry-level prosecutors with an understanding of relevant admissibility law in their jurisdiction, and encourage seasoned prosecutors to take a fresh look at the several viable options for forensic interview admissibility. In most states, potential routes will include the medical treatment, excited utterance, prompt outcry, state of mind, present sense impression, and residual hearsay exceptions, as well as the possibility of prior consistent or inconsistent statements, forfeiture by wrongdoing, and other strategies. Whether preparing for suppression hearings or drafting proactive admissibility motions, prosecutors may benefit from the wealth of persuasive law articulated by other jurisdictions in this guide. Investigators and other members of the multidisciplinary team will also benefit from an enhanced understanding of law relevant to their daily work.Item Child victims with disabilities: A guide for prosecutors(Zero Abuse Project, 2022) Zero Abuse ProjectNearly 700,000 children experience abuse, maltreatment, or neglect each year, with the most common allegations being physical neglect, physical abuse, and sexual abuse.1 1 National annual child abuse statistics cited from U.S. Administration for Children & Families, Child Maltreatment 2019. This data, released annually, is the most current federal data available. https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/research-data technology/statistics-research/child-maltreatment Since child abuse is vastly underreported, this figure is not entirely reflective of the scope of the issue. Of the children that experience child abuse and maltreatment, children with disabilities are affected at staggering rates, despite being underrepresented in our child protection and judicial systems. Children with disabilities are at least three times more likely to be abused or neglected than their peers without disabilities,2 and they are more likely to be seriously injured or harmed by maltreatment.3 2 Jones, L. et al., (2012). Prevalence and risk of violence against children with disabilities: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. Lancet, 380, 899–907. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(12)60692-8 3 Sedlak, A. J. et al. (2010). Fourth National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect (NIS–4): Report to Congress. Retrieved from At the same time, disabilities themselves are not monolithic and are often co-present. Accordingly, prosecutors handling these important cases must be prepared to serve and advocate for individual child victims’ unique physical, cognitive, and emotional needs. This obligation extends throughout the prosecution, including: the pretrial process, preparation of the child to testify, development of courtroom accommodations, expert witness and competency considerations, utilization of Individual Education Programs (IEPs), jury selection, and integration of case themes. This guide addresses each of these components of the prosecution and concludes with sample motions to implement recommendations.Item Interviewing Children with Disabilities: A Practical Guide for Forensic Interviewers(2022) Zero Abuse ProjectThis guide offers guidance for conducting forensic interviews with children with disabilities and considerations for multidisciplinary teams (MDTs).