Courtroom Modifications for Child Witnesses: Law and Science in Forensic Evaluations

More of those who abuse or neglect children are going to court. The bad news is that often their victims must testify, a process that will probably compound the damage already done. Hall (psychology, Pepperdine U.) and Sales (psychology, sociology, psychiatry and law, U. of Arizona) provide a structure for conducting courtroom modification evaluations for child witnesses and for providing expert testimony. Writing for the legal, medical and social work professionals involved in such testimonies, they describe why courtroom modifications must be made to protect children from further trauma as they deliver their testimony. They analyze courtroom modifications that raise or do not raise concerns, the science behind courtroom modifications, the analytical approach to evaluations, trauma and emotional stress in evaluations, post-traumatic stress disorder, disassociation, fear, anxiety, depression, and the effects of communication abilities and disorders. They also provide a preview of possible future directions. Annotation c2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)