Evaluation of an interorganizational innovation: The Child Abuse Review Team of the city of Windsor (Ontario).

In response to legislative changes intended to better facilitate justice for child/victims, the Child Abuse Review Team is an interorganizational innovation implemented to promote formal information exchange between children\u27s aid societies, police services, victim/witness programme and the crown attorney\u27s office. Microsociological findings indicate that DESPITE legislative changes, improved preparation and supports for child/victims, improved co-ordination of information resources for the Crown Attorney\u27s brief, for most cases the truth about a child\u27s sexual victimization is still not heard clearly within the courtroom. A child\u27s level of cognitive and language development is incompatible with legal requirements for hearing evidence. Macrosociological findings suggest medical and legal reluctance toward holding offenders accountable for expressing sexuality with children. Themes of debate about legislative changes polarize around a search for justice and basic rights of an accused to a fair trial which includes the right to confront his accuser. It is suggested that the \u27accuser\u27 is not the child/victim, but those mandated to protect the child. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)Dept. of Sociology and Anthropology. Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis1992 .M256. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 31-04, page: 1597. Thesis (M.A.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 1992