Child Victims and Witnesses

Abstract

In the last 20 years or so, jurisdictions all over the United States have taken great strides in the identification, prosecution and prevention of the physical and sexual abuse of children. The abuse of children by their parents and caretakers had been in large part an untold secret in this Country, primarily because citizens either refused to believe the abuse occurred, or if they did believe it occurred, were unconcerned because children had few rights, and were historically considered no better than property, to be used as a parent saw fit. The telling of the secret of abuse has given hope for children who otherwise would have been lost and left to suffer.