Research Reports

When Teens Hurt Teens: Helping the Victims of Youth-on-Youth Criminal Violence (2006)

Teens Hurting Teens Study is a collaborative effort of the London Police Service and the Centre's Child Witness Project, funded by the Ontario Victim Services Secretariat of the Ministry of the Attorney General. The focus is on violent crime committed by youth against other youth. We read a random sample of 247 police reports from a three-year period before and after the proclamation of the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA), analysed all police occurrences for 2004, reviewed 105 case files from the Child Witness Project, and interviewed 17 young people (and their parents) who experienced or witnessed peer violence. An overview report describes the key findings of this study, from the decision by a young victim to report the crime through to sentencing in court. In addition we have fact sheets of recommendations for four professional groups: schools, police, prosecutors, and those who help young witnesses prepare for court.

Finding a Third Option: The Experience of the London Child Protection Mediation Project (2005)
by Alison Cunningham & Judy vanLeeuwen. The final report from this pilot project. The promises and cautions of child protection mediation are outlined in the context of a research study comparing the outcomes of 20 mediated cases with those of 20 cases processed in the conventional way. Seventeen recommmendations are offered. Included is a feedback form suitable for use with clients after mediation. See also the Discussion Guide for Communities Implementing Child Protection Mediation.

What About ME! Seeking to Understand the Child's View of Violence in the Family (2004)
by Alison Cunningham & Linda Baker. This study was funded by the National Crime Prevention Strategy in Ottawa. It involves an exhaustive review of the literature on child exposure to domestic violence (almost 400 sources) integrated with extensive clinical experience to create a revolutionary new framework for understanding, studying and intervening with children who have lived with woman abuse. Case studies illustrate key points and child drawings bring to life the experience of violence through young eyes.

Waiting for Mommy: Giving a Voice to the Hidden Victims of Imprisonment (2003)
by Alison Cunningham & Linda Baker. There may be no more vulnerable group of youngsters in our communities than children separated from a mother by prison bars. This exploratory study was undertaken with member agencies of the Council of Elizabeth Fry Societies of Ontario. We spoke with children, surveyed mothers during and after provincial prison stays, and reviewed the literature. The incarceration of a mother destabilizes a family often affected by poverty and other challenges. Results are presented in a developmental framework that explicates the differential impact of maternal incarceration from infancy to adolescence. Recommendations focus on creating viable alternmatives to imprisonment, assisting women, and supporting children.

Ethical Practice: Principles and Guidelines for Research with Vulnerable Individuals and Families (2003)
by Alison Cunningham. This document from the PRAXIS series reviews ethical study design, definition of a pool of potential subjects, contacting subjects, seeking their participation, safe handling of information collected, and dissemination of results. Available for download as an Adobe .pdf document.

One Step Forward: Lessons Learned from a Randomized Study of Multisystemic Therapy in Canada (2002)
by Alison Cunningham. This 32-page report focuses on the methodology used in our multi-site evaluation of Multisystemic Therapy in Ontario. It describes 10 ways the wrong conclusions could have been made about MST with a less rigorous design. These points are illustrated using the follow-up data available in January, 2002. This document will be helpful for researchers conducting randomized field studies. Policy makers will benefit from understanding how research can be used to improve programming.

The Final Results of the three-year follow-up are now available.

Access Denied: The Barriers of Violence and Poverty for Abused Women and Their Children After Separation (2002)
by Peter Jaffe, Michelle Zerwer & Samantha Poisson. Funded by the Atkinson Charitable Foundation. In this two-year study, 62 women were interviewed about their experiences after separation from an abusive partner. Ninety-five children were interviewed as well. Focus groups were held with women involved with specialized domestic violence counselling. To provide the reader with a broader context, each section of the report contrasts the myths and facts juxtaposed with study facts and recommendations.

Seeking Effective Interventions for Serious Young Offenders: Interim Results of a Four-Year Randomized Study of Multisystemic Therapy in Ontario, Canada (2002)
by A.Leschied and A. Cunningham. A complete description of the MST project and all analyses on follow-up data available at September, 2001. Results are presented in the context of the ecology of implementation. Readers reviewing MST for potential adoption in their jurisdictions will find this report helpful in understanding the contingencies that arise when implementing this expensive and challenging intervention. Details of the methodology are also described. Available only on-line.

Child Witnesses in Canada: Where We Are, Where We're Going (2002)
by the Child Witness Project. Funded by Health Canada, this paper reviews the legal reforms of the 1980s that opened the courtrooms of Canada to hearing the evidence of children. Topics covered include best practice approaches, a research agenda for child witnesses, a "bill of rights" for children who have to testify, and the results of a follow-up with former clients 12 years after they were referred. Available only on-line.

Child Abuse in Community Institutions and Organizations: Improving Public and Professional Understanding (2001)
Prepared for the Law Commission of Canada, this 27-page paper reviews the literature about child abuse in institutions, such as residential schools, and organizations and social institutions that are not necessarily residential in nature. It was a collaboration between the Centre and Dr. David Wolfe of the University of Western Ontario. Available only on-line.

I'm Doing my Job in Court, Are You? Questions for the Criminal Justice System (1999)
This study of 913 criminal cases from across Ontario was conducted by the Child Witness Network, a consortium of agencies that prepare children and youth to testify in court. It provides a comprehensive insight into the experiences of children who have testified in abuse cases. The impetus for the research was a shared concern that child victims continue to be re-traumatized in the criminal justice system.

Theory-derived Explanations for Male Violence Against Female Partners: Literature Review and Related Implications for Treatment and Evaluation (1998)
Funded by Correctional Service of Canada, this 81-page document reviews the literature on male battering with special emphasis on studies released since 1994. Five types of theories are reviewed: biological/organic, psychopathology, family systems, social learning, and feminist. For each, the empirical support, limitations and implications for treatment are highlighted. Some evaluation strategies are discussed. An eight-page executive summary is included. Available only on-line.

Tipping the Balance to Tell the Secret (1995)
looks at the cases of more than 500 child victims of sexual assaults and how their abuse came to light. A subsample of the children were interviewed about their disclosures.

Three Years After the Verdict (1993)
A follow-up study of 126 child victims of sexual assault about three years after they testified in court or saw their cases end with a guilty plea. The executive summary is available on-line.

Wife Assault as a Crime: The Perspectives of Victims and Police Officers on a Charging Policy (1991)
Examines the impact of a mandatory charging policy in London, Ontario, from 1980 to 1990. The executive summary is available on-line.