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When parents - usually mothers - try to protect their children from sexual abuse, they can be devastated to find that support from the legal system is not always there. Suspecting their husbands or partners of the abuse, mothers may seek a divorce and custody or, if already divorced, request withdrawal of visitation rights. However, if unable to prove abuse, a mother can be labelled `hysterical' and her desperate efforts to secure her child's safety may jeopardize her case - and even result in the suspected perpetrator being granted custody of the child.
A ddressesing this troubling issue, this book provides parents and professionals with the necessary information to protect themselves against a legal system backfire. John
List of contents
One Mother¿s Nightmare
PART ONE: ESSENTIAL INFORMATION ABOUT CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE
Defining Child Sexual Abuse and Other Forms of Child Maltreatment
What Does the Future Hold for a Child Who Has Been Sexually Abused?
Who Are the Men Who Sexually Abuse Children? Why Do They Do It? Can Molesters Be Cured?
PART TWO: A MOTHER¿S ALLIES: THE LEGAL SYSTEM, A GOOD LAWYER, MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
Introduction to the US Legal System
Criminal Court, Family Court, Juvenile Court
Finding a Lawyer
Help from Mental Health Professionals
The Critically Important Psychosocial Assessment
PART THREE: DETAILED DISCUSSION OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, FAMILY COURT, CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES AND JUVENILE COURT
The Criminal Justice System
Family Court
Divorce, Child Custody and Child Visitation
Child Protective Services Agency and Juvenile Court
PART FOUR: PROVING CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE IN COURT: OVERCOMING OBSTACLES AND PROTECTING YOUR CHILD
Obstacles to Proving Child Sexual Abuse in Court
Sorting Out Your Suspicions, Controlling Your Emotions
The Legal Importance of What Your Child Tells You and Others about the Abuse
Changes in Your Child¿s Behavior as Evidence of Sexual Abuse
PART FIVE: SUMMING IT ALL UP: PLAN FOR VICTORY, PREPARE FOR DEFEAT
Plan for Victory
Prepare for Defeat
About the author
John E.B. Myers, J.D. is a Distinguished Professor and Scholar at the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, California. He is the author or editor of eight books and more than 100 articles and chapters on child maltreatment and his writing has been cited by more than 140 courts, including the United States Supreme Court. John is a frequent speaker at conferences, having made more than 400 presentations around the world.
Summary
Demonstrates the consequences for women of facing a legal system which frequently does not support them, often attacks them, and sometimes gives away their children to the alleged perpetrators. The authors seeks to show how parents and professionals can avoid such a situation.
