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BACKGROUND: Most child homicides are committed by a perpetrator who has a maternal or paternal relationship with their victim which is commonly referred to as filicide. Previous research has examined differences in how maternal and paternal perpetrators are discussed in the media but there is a paucity of research comparing the treatment of maternal and paternal perpetrators in the criminal justice system. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study is to examine whether criminal justice outcomes vary for male and female perpetrators of filicide. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: This study examines 298 cases of filicide between 1985 and 2018 in Ontario, Canada. METHODS: Bivariate and multivariate analyses are used to compare charges, convictions, conviction types, sentence types, and sentence lengths imposed on maternal and paternal filicide perpetrators. RESULTS: Results show that maternal perpetrators are less likely to be convicted (Odds = 0.279, p < 0.01), less likely to be convicted of murder (Odds = 0.364, p < 0.01), less likely to receive a prison sentence (Odds = 0.087, p < 0.01), and receive sentences that are shorter on average (B = -2.183, p < 0.001) compared to paternal perpetrators. CONCLUSIONS: Future research should examine how criminal justice actors weigh and consider the motives and broader social and structural factors that may lead to filicide when determining criminal justice outcomes. An integrated social role and medicalization framework may allow researchers to develop a better understanding of these results.

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In Chile, Law 21.057 established in 2019 that, for criminal cases in which there is a child or adolescent victim of a sexual or other serious crime, professionals who take the evidence from the victim during the investigative interview and court testimony are required to be specially trained as interviewers and intermediaries, respectively. Although Chile has been progressively moving into a child-friendly justice system, the expertise and training on how to address victims who have particular communicative, emotional, cultural, or social needs have been rather limited. This study explores the challenges experienced by investigative interviewers and intermediaries with child victims from priority groups, through the lens of their instructors. The term "priority groups" encompasses people who require special protection because of a condition that puts them at a disadvantage. Using purposive sampling, 12 of the most experienced instructors were recruited, and five semi-structured group interviews were conducted remotely. Through thematic data analysis, eight categories of challenges were found. First, the study identified particular difficulties experienced by professionals with six groups of children and adolescents who are here called priority victims or members of priority groups: (1.1) preschool children, (1.2) victims with neurodevelopmental disorders, (1.3) victims with psychiatric disorders, (1.4) reluctant victims, (1.5) Indigenous and migrant victims, and (1.6) victims in complex contexts/crimes. Secondly, the analysis identified cross-cutting challenges for the professionals related to (2.1) difficulties remaining after their initial training, and (2.2) the unavailability of background information about the victims before the proceedings. The article emphasizes the need to strengthen advanced competences and training content regarding priority groups, to reinforce initial skills, and to refine guidelines to assess and address these victims adequately, in order to facilitate their access to justice.

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It is widely understood that stable housing is a key element in the transition from prison to the community. However, many persons under correctional supervision face substantial barriers in securing and maintaining housing, a fact that is heightened among individuals with a sexual offense conviction. Although frequent movement is commonplace among people on parole, it is unclear how housing changes affect recidivism outcomes and whether such mobility uniquely impacts individuals with a sexual offense conviction. In the present study, we use a quasi-experimental propensity score weighting design to compare a sample of individuals paroled from prison in Michigan for sexual and non-sexual crimes (N = 3930) to consider the role of housing mobility on the likelihood of rearrests and technical revocation, with attention to disaggregating sexual crimes against adults and children. Results suggest that increased movement was distinctly associated with a higher hazard of rearrest for individuals with a sexual offense conviction, and a strong predictor of technical return hazard for both individuals with sexual and non-sexual convictions.

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A retrospective examination of 500 child sexual abuse reports to prosecutor's offices analyzed case progress and predictors of attrition, including details about alleged perpetrator(s), victim(s), their families, and other case characteristics. Less than one in five cases proceeded to prosecution. For the full sample, we describe all outcomes and differentiate prosecutors' decisions to (a) intake/close, (b) investigate/close, or (c) prosecute; these stages comprise a 3-level dependent variable. Because it is important to understand which variables are associated with progress to each stage, we examined unique predictors of the decision to "investigate," and to "prosecute." Our multivariate analyses examine 325 cases with a perpetrator aged 16 and older. Caregiver support and perpetrator age were significant predictors across all outcome variables, while other factors were barriers to the "prosecute" decision only. Results highlight the complexities of case characteristics that are important at different stages of prosecutorial decision-making and inform future interventions.

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Individuals who commit sexual offenses against children have been shown to be distinctive from adult offenders across both individual and crime characteristics. However, an examination of the literature shows that there are gaps in the research related to whether sadism manifests differently between those who target child compared to adult victims. The current study therefore aimed to explore the differences in the characteristics, crime-commission process, and the dimensions of sadism between sadistic crimes of children (n = 101) compared to those of adults (n = 433). Sexual sadism was assessed with the Sexual Sadism Scale (SeSaS) and binary logistic regression analysis and multidimensional scale analysis (MDS) were performed to examine differences between these two groups. Our results showed that sadistic fantasies manifested into four dimensions for both adult and child victims. In terms of differences, sadistic sexual offenses involving children appear to be reflective of deviant fantasies related to overlapping paraphilias (e.g., sadism and pedophilia). Conversely, sadistic crimes involving adult victims involve a crime-commission process that involves a greater degree of structure to control their adult victim and decrease their risk of identification. Implications for clinical assessment and police investigations are discussed.

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Forensic interviewers are encouraged to elicit a practice narrative from children in order to train them to answer free recall questions with narrative information. Although asking children about their last birthday has been recommended, concerns have been raised that many children will have nothing to report. This study asked 994 4- to 9-year-old maltreated and non-maltreated children to recall their last birthday. Although a fair number of children initially failed to recall information (9%), virtually all children recalled information with persistent encouragement (99%). Younger children and maltreated children were less responsive and spoke less, but nevertheless, 93% of the youngest children (4-year-olds) and 97% of maltreated children recalled information with persistent encouragement. The results suggest that children's failures to recall information about birthdays are predominantly attributable to a failure to provide additional support.

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BACKGROUND: Although sadistic child sexual abuse (SCSA) is rare, existing typologies of child sexual abuse have identified the existence of sadistic subtypes in child molestation, as well in the sexual homicide of children. Nonetheless, no study has sought to determine whether there is heterogeneity in the manifestation of sexual sadism between sadistic child abusers. OBJECTIVE: The present study seeks to examine how SCSA manifests differently between offenders, and whether these differences are associated with specific victim, offender, and offense characteristics. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: The current sample includes adult males (N = 101) who were involved in a child sexual assault and scored at least a 4 on the Severe Sexual Sadism Scale (SeSas). All offenses take place in France between 1990 and 2018. METHODS: Latent class analysis was used to analyze the sample for heterogeneity. Bivariate analyses were conducted to identify external variables associated with each of the latent classes. RESULTS: Three distinct latent classes were found: the sadistic kidnapper; the sadistic torturer; and the sadistic ritualist. External validity testing also revealed distinctive characteristics associated with each class. CONCLUSIONS: SCSA involves a heterogenous population with distinctive sadistic behavioral manifestations that vary in severity and relate to differences in crime-commission processes and offender characteristics. These findings offer important insights for crime prevention and correctional practice.

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Due to the high level of violence globally, providing intervention for child victims of trauma has become a priority for various government departments and health professionals including occupational therapists. Child appropriate sensory modulation intervention, which has its theoretical origins within the occupational therapy profession, has been suggested as a suitable treatment approach for children who are victims of trauma, since the initial experience of trauma occurs on a somatosensory level. Advances in trauma care indicate that children may experience the effects of trauma as an inability to appropriately regulate and organize sensory responses. This results in sensory modulation dysfunction associated with emotional and behavior difficulties. This scoping review provides an overview of the extent to which sensory modulation dysfunction has been identified and treated in child victims of trauma. Using the Arksey and O'Malley (2005) framework, five databases and three manual hand searches were conducted. This scoping review confirmed the scarcity of research available. The 13 studies which met the inclusion criteria indicated that child victims of trauma (CVT) present with a sensory modulation disorder (SMD). Sensory modulation intervention, within the theoretical framework of Ayres Sensory Integration® (ASI®), alone and in combination with psychotherapy approaches was found to be valuable for CVT, in the studies chartered. Identification and treatment of sensory modulation dysfunction in CVT has been researched and is becoming an area of increasing need. Therefore, to remain relevant to the violent contexts within communities, there is a need to expand research in this field.

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The current study aims to explore the challenges and prospects of the criminal justice system in handling child victims and alleged offenders in Bahir Dar metropolitan city, North West Ethiopia. A qualitative research design was adopted to achieve this goal. Primary data was collected through semi-structured interviews conducted with victimized children (n = 25) and in-depth interviews conducted with key informants (n = 15). Data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. The general emergent theme- encumbrance and motivation reflected the challenges and opportunities of the criminal justice system in handling child victims and alleged offenders, respectively. The results from the study revealed that the absence of child-friendly police stations, limited overall assessments and psychosocial supports for child victims, slow, tardy and insensitive justice process, and legal system gaps were critical issues at the initial police contact, investigation, and trial stages of the criminal justice system. It appears from this study that the wellbeing and support needs of victims and witnesses are not yet being adequately addressed. In this study, a major challenge identified was the deficit of law enforcement in the criminal justice system as to the detection and investigation of a crime involving child victims. On the other hand, the initiatives to introduce child protection units and child-friendly police stations, provision of support and assistance, and awareness-raising about child-friendly practices among the criminal justice system are the major prospects that have been taken place within the criminal justice system.

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BACKGROUND: Research on sexual homicide of child victims is scarce. Studies focusing on the lethal outcome in sexual crimes involving adult victims suggest that those offenders who end up killing their victims present both specific individual and crimecommission process characteristics. Nevertheless, recent studies indicate that findings with adult victims may not adequately explain the lethal outcome in sexual crimes of children. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to identify specific combination of offenders, victims and crime-commission process factors associated with a lethal outcome in child sexual abuse. PARTICIPANTS: This study compares and analyzes the characteristics of 646 cases of extrafamilial child abuses with 136 cases of sexual homicide involving children. METHODS: Bivariate analyses and sequential binomial regression analyses were conducted to identify variables associated with crime outcome. Finally, conjunctive analyses were used to identify combinations of factors that are the most likely associated with the lethal outcome. RESULTS: Results indicate that both offenders and crime-commission process characteristics are strongly associated with sexual homicides of children. CONCLUSIONS: Offenders who sexually murder children are extremely instrumental and opportunistic. They are also more likely to have a life history characterized by the manifestation of diverse antisocial conducts. The findings of this study provide important theoretical and practical implications for crime investigations, prevention, and offenders' management.

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Forensic interviewers are routinely advised to instruct children that they should indicate when they do not understand a question. This study examined whether administering the instruction with a practice question may help interviewers identify the means by which individual children signal incomprehension. We examined 446 interviews with children questioned about abuse, including 252 interviews in which interviewers administered the instruction with a practice question (4- to 13-year-old children; Mage = 7.7). Older children more often explicitly referred to incomprehension when answering the practice question and throughout the interviews, whereas younger children simply requested repetition or gave "don't know" responses, and individual children's responses to the practice questions predicted their responses later in the interviews. Similarly, older children were more likely to seek confirmation of their understanding of interviewers' questions and to request specification. The results highlight the need for interviewers to test and closely monitor younger children's responses for ambiguous signs of incomprehension.

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Background: PTSD symptoms are frequent in child victims of sexual abuse. Yet, authors have argued that early trauma could lead to alterations in development that go far beyond the primary symptoms of PTSD and have proposed Complex PTSD as an alternative diagnosis encompassing difficulties in affect regulation, relationships and self-concept. Objective: To delineate profiles in child victims of sexual abuse and explore whether profiles are associated with treatment response to Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Method: Latent class analysis was used to identify symptom profiles at baseline assessment of 384 children ages 6 to 14, recruited in a Child Advocacy Centre following disclosure of sexual abuse. Dimensions of Complex PTSD diagnosis as proposed by the ICD-11 were derived from self-report questionnaires. Results: Latent class analysis identified a best fitting model of three classes: Classic PTSD regrouping 51% of children, Complex PTSD describing 23% of children, and Resilient describing 25% of children. Trauma-focused therapy was associated with a significant reduction of dissociation, internalizing, and externalizing problems for children of all three classes. Trauma-focused therapy was also linked to a significant reduction of PTSD symptoms with larger effect size (d = .90; 95%CI: 0.63-1.16) for children classified in the Complex PTSD class. Conclusion: These findings highlight the utility of a person-oriented approach to enhance our understanding of the diversity of profiles in child victims. The results offer empirical support for the ICD-11 PTSD and Complex PTSD distinction in a clinical sample of sexually abused children and the relevance of this distinction in foreseeing treatment outcomes.

Antecedentes: Los síntomas de TEPT son frecuentes en niños víctimas de abuso sexual. Sin embargo, los autores han argumentado que el trauma temprano podría llevar a alteraciones en el desarrollo que van más allá de los síntomas primarios de TEPT y han propuesto el TEPT Complejo como una alternativa diagnóstica que abarca las dificultades en la regulación de los afectos, las relaciones interpersonales y el autoconcepto.Objetivo: Delinear perfiles en niños víctimas de abuso sexual y explorar si los perfiles están asociados con respuesta al tratamiento de Terapia Cognitivo Conductual Centrada en el Trauma.Método: Se utilizó análisis de clase latente para identificar perfiles de síntomas en la evaluación inicial de 384 niños, edades entre 6 a 14 años, reclutados en el Centro de Defensa Infantil luego de la revelación del abuso sexual. Las dimensiones diagnósticas de TEPT Complejo según lo propuesto por la CIE-11 se derivaron de cuestionarios de auto-reporte.Resultados: El análisis de clase latente identificó el mejor modelo de tres clases: TEPT Clásico reagrupó al 51% de los niños, TEPT Complejo describió al 23% de los niños, y Resiliente describió al 25% de los niños. La terapia centrada en el trauma se asoció con una reducción significativa de disociación, y problemas internalizantes y externalizantes de los niños de las tres clases. La terapia centrada en el trauma también se vinculó con una reducción significativa de síntomas de TEPT con un mayor tamaño de efecto (d=.90; 95% IC: 0.63-.1.16) para los niños clasificados en el grupo de TEPT Complejo.Conclusiones: Los hallazgos resaltan la utilidad de un enfoque orientado a la persona para mejorar nuestra comprensión de la diversidad de perfiles en niños víctimas. Los resultados ofrecen apoyo empírico para la distinción en la CIE-11 de TEPT y TEPT Complejo en una muestra clínica de niños abusados sexualmente y la relevancia de esta distinción para prever los resultados del tratamiento.

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The current study examines the persistence of victimization and poly-victimization (i.e., count of multiple types of victimization) across various stages of development (ages 0-5, 6-12, and 13-18) and the related impact on adult well-being. Participants were 2,098 adults from the Appalachian region of three Southern states. Eighty-two percent of participants reported at least one type of victimization during childhood. Among adult victims, 22.6% reported one victimization in one developmental stage (i.e., one stage, but no poly-victimization), 45.8% reported one victimization in more than one stage (i.e., persistent victimization, but no poly-victimization), 20.5% reported multiple types of victimization in one stage (i.e., poly-victimization), and 11.2% reported multiple types of victimization at more than one stage (i.e., persistent poly-victimization). Results indicated a linear decline in subjective well-being, mental health, and number of healthy days as victimization becomes more persistent across childhood and more diverse in types (i.e., poly-victimization). Study findings provide support for models of victimization that take both developmental trajectories and poly-victimization into account.

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This study of attrition compares the prosecution of child sexual offenses reported while the complainant was still a child with those in which the report was delayed into adulthood; it also compares matters involving adult and young (under 18 years) suspects/defendants. It is based on an analysis of police and court administrative data in New South Wales, Australia over a 14-year period (2003-2016). Only one in five (21.6%) proceeded beyond the investigation stage. Criminal proceedings were more likely to commence when the alleged victim was 7-12 years old at the time of the incident, when the suspect was an adult and at least 10 years older than the victim, and also when the report to police was made when the victim was an adult. Just over half (55.5%) of the matters finalized in court resulted in a conviction. Cases in the higher courts were less likely to be dismissed and more likely to feature guilty pleas and convictions at trial than cases in the lower courts. The overall estimate is that only 12% of offenses reported to police resulted in a conviction, at a relatively stable rate over 14 years. These findings are consistent with those of comparable studies.

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BACKGROUND: Public knowledge of child stranger rape is shaped largely by media portrayals of a small number of cases, often marked by sensational trials, which may result in juror misconceptions of this offense. It is important to understand the factors that may influence jury verdicts in order to maximize the chance of guilty defendants being convicted. OBJECTIVE: The aim is to explore the factors that predict juries' decisions to convict or acquit in child stranger rape cases. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: The study utilizes a police database of recorded child stranger rape cases from a UK urban force from 2001-2015. Seventy cases that were tried by jury were analyzed. We investigated the extent to which 19 child-, accused- and offense-related factors predict jury verdicts. METHODS: A four stage analytic process was employed: (a) Kendall's tau-b measured inter-correlations among the factors; (b) Chi-Square and Welch t-tests measured associations between factors and verdicts; (c) binary logistic regression measured the power of factors in predicting verdicts; and (d) Stein's formula was used to cross-validate the model. RESULTS: Verdicts were predicted by two offense-related factors. A weapon increased the odds of conviction by 412%. An outdoor location increased the odds by 360%. CONCLUSIONS: The findings have potential implications for prosecution case building and courtroom policy. Prosecutors could gather as much information as possible from victims about the factors found to be of importance to juries. Judges could challenge incorrect beliefs and stereotypes by instructing juries.

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The sexual homicide of a child is an unusual event, and very few studies have been conducted on the topic. Previous studies have mainly focused on the differences between sexual homicide of child and adult victims. The current study aims to identify a typology of sexual homicide of children based on modus operandi, offenders' and victims' characteristics. Using two-step cluster analysis on a sample of 72 cases of extra familial sexual homicide of children (aged 16 years or below) from France, six clusters have been identified on the basis of eight modus operandi variables: intentional/prepubescent, inadvertent/prepubescent, intentional/preteen, inadvertent/preteen, indiscriminate/teen, and intentional/teen. External validity of the classification was tested using 51 additional variables related to victims, offenders, and other modus operandi characteristics. Findings showed that sexual homicide of children is a heterogeneous phenomenon, largely influenced by the actual age of the victim and the type of violence used. Implications of the findings are discussed considering prevention, criminal investigation, and correctional practices.

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Child serving professionals need increased understanding of the identification and therapeutic needs of child victims of commercial sexual exploitation. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a training program aimed to increase awareness of commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) among professionals likely to encounter victims in their work. Professionals' (N = 227) knowledge level was examined prior to the training, immediately thereafter, and in a 6-12 month follow-up. Despite professional position or years of experience, participants had similar levels of CSEC knowledge before the training and all showed a significant improvement in their knowledge after the training. However, follow-up testing on a smaller subsample demonstrated that knowledge gains were not maintained. The analysis of the participants' responses to how their behavior would change subsequent to the training revealed important themes including: (1) greater ability to identify/assess or recognize CSEC victims, (2) greater understanding and knowledge of CSEC, (3) increased ability to communicate, interact, and engage with CSEC victims, and (4) heightened desire to educate others and raise awareness about CSEC. Results also indicated that participants were very satisfied with the training and found it highly relevant to their work.

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One of the most debated issues in relation to child sexual abuse (CSA) is whether there should be a limitation period for prosecutions. In 2017 a French ministerial report was released proposing extension of the limitation period in part because of the sometimes long delay between the alleged events and the disclosure of the abuse. For this, the report relied on dissociative amnesia. It also advocated for the development of child victim interview protocols by victim associations. We show that dissociative amnesia is not consensual within the scientific community. Instead, we recommend scientifically reliable cognitive principles to explain the lack of memory. Moreover, interviewing techniques for children have already been designed by memory researchers to enhance recall and report of CSA, from which any uncontrolled deviation might put the child's testimony at risk. We conclude by advocating for the use of evidence-based psychology, and for co-operation between practitioners, judges and researchers.

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Negative health outcome and its relationship with length and severity of Childhood Sexual Abuse is well established in the literature. Until recently, this literature consisted disproportionately of studies of adults recalling past events. For guidelines for the treatment of childhood survivors, research focused on child victims may be more relevant. We aim to characterize factors related to long-term and severe sexual abuse among children in São Paulo, Brazil. We conducted a cross-sectional study of children up to the age of ten, referred to a specialty program on sexual abuse between 2004 and 2013. Length and severity of the abuse were tested for associations with variables related to the abuse using a Chi-square test, followed by the Poisson regression with robust variance for prevalence ratio. Most children experienced abuse were reliant on relatives or friends for housing (45%). The time between abuse and reporting was longer when the perpetrator lived in the same household as the child and when abuse was reported by a relative or friend. Abuse was more frequent among female children, but longer and more severe in males. A lack of independent housing, parents' education and social stigma facilitated childhood sexual abuse by delaying reporting among our sample.

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The aim of this study was to examine the impact of domestic violence (DV) on women and their children. The records of women who were admitted to one of two types of shelter (an emergency shelter [n = 834] and a medium-long stay shelter [n = 84]) for victims of DV in Bizkaia (Spain) from 2006-2015 were analyzed. The results showed that up to 80% of the women had mental health problems. In about 20% of cases, a problematic mother-child relationship was identified. Inadequate parenting was present in around 35% of cases. Around 80-90% of the children had witnessed the abuse suffered by their mother, and more than half had been direct victims of some type of abuse. The findings point to actions that shelters can take to address the needs of DV victims. They also highlight the need for separate interventions targeting the needs of children, as well as mothers.

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