The effectiveness and impact of the child protection and criminal justice systems in cases of intrafamilial child sexual abuse
Fiche mise à jour le 16 novembre 2018
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Description
The effectiveness and impact of the child protection and criminal justice systems in cases of intrafamilial child sexual abuse
Résumé :Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to report on the findings from a study commissioned by the Office of the Children’s Commissioner (OCC) in England, concerning intrafamilial child sexual abuse (IFCSA)/incest. Specifically, it aims to explore the evidence about child protection and criminal justice responses to victims of IFCSA in the UK and where the gaps in these approaches lie.
Design/methodology/approach: A Rapid Evidence Assessment (REA) was used, the function of which is to: search the literature as comprehensively as possible within given time constraints; collate descriptive outlines of the available evidence on a topic and critically appraise it; sift out studies of poor quality; and provide an overview of the evidence. Over 57,000 documents were scanned, and 296 ultimately systematically analysed.
Findings: It was found that children may be re-victimised by various aspects of “the system” and professionals within it, including social workers, police officers, and lawyers.
Research limitations/implications: A REA is not a full systematic review, differing in the scope and depth of the searches and depending almost exclusively on electronic databases, not accompanied by searching journals by hand.
Originality/value: The findings of this research provide the evidence-base for a new two-year inquiry into the subject of IFCSA by the OCC.
Mots-clés libres (EN) :Criminal justice, Child protection, Child sexual abuse, Incest, Intrafamilial, Secondary victimisation