Supporting Children in the Justice System
When children and youth have to go through the justice system, either as a victim of or witness to a crime, it can be confusing, distressing, and even re-traumatizing.
Supporting those who have experienced violence and victimization is central to our mission and a trauma-informed approach is critical to meeting the needs of this vulnerable population. To address this need, the Center for Court Innovation is proud to share a first-of-its-kind collection of interactive and educational materials to support child victims.
Designed to be trauma-informed and age-appropriate, our illustrated booklets and graphic novels guide children through how the justice system works, what their rights are, the roles of the different practitioners they’ll meet, and how they can cope with the difficult feelings they might have. For children who have to testify, there are also tips to help them prepare for going to court.
With input from national experts from a variety of disciplines, and specifically created for children in three different age groups (ages 2–6, 7–12, and 13–18), there are materials about the criminal legal system and the child welfare system. There are also accompanying practitioner and caregiver guides providing suggestions for how best to use the materials and support child victims and witnesses. In the coming months, these materials will become available in 5 additional languages.
These materials were created with generous funding from the U.S. Office for Victims of Crime.
All materials are available for free download on Office for Victims of Crime's website.