"A Full and Candid Account" Using Special Accommodations and Testimonial Aids to Facilitate the Testimony of Children Children & Teenagers Testifying in Domestic Violence Cases Alison Cunningham & Pamela Hurley (2007)

This resource is the seventh in a series of seven handbooks called "A Full and Candid Account". The focus here is on children who are potential witnesses in domestic violence cases. Their names may be on a witness list because they gave a police statement during the investigation. SOme are also victims themselves of child abuse. We also discuss teenaged complainants in intimate violence cases, who are another type of "child witnesses." For the children and teenagers, these cases present both the typical challenges for court witnesses as well as pressures unique to offences occurring within the family context. You will find here information on how domestic violence is understood by children, an overview of the concept of domestic violence court, FAQs, questions children may ask, and suggestions on how to support complainant parents.

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Children & Teenagers Testifying in Domestic Violence Cases (551 KB)

Table of Contents

• Josh, age 10
• Children Testifying in Domestic Violence Cases: Introduction
• Living with Domestic Violence
• Misapprehensions Common Among Children in Domestic Violence Cases
• Factors Exacerbating a Child's Distress in Domestic Violence Cases
• When to Call Children as Witnesses
• Domestic Violence Courts in Canada
• Overview of Special Accommodations and Testimonial Aids
• FAQs about Children and Domestic Violence Cases
• What Children Say About their Role in Domestic Violence Cases
• Questions You May Hear from Children
• Working with Complainant Parents
• Good Practice Guidance for Domestic Violence Cases with Child Witnesses
• Teenage Complainants in Intimate Partner Assault Cases
• What Teenagers Say About Testifying as Victims of Intimate Partner Violence
• Working with Families New to Canada
• Further Readings
• About the Handbook Series

En français

Disponible également en français sous le titre « Un récit complet et franc » / Recours à des arrangements spéciaux et aux aides au témoignage pour faciliter le témoignage des enfants.

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