Children and the Law

This volume brings together thirteen essential readings illustrating the most important issues in dealing with children as victims, witnesses or perpetrators of crime.

"In this volume, Professor Bull has compiled some of the most important articles on sexual abuse. It is particularly noteworthy that the collection includes seminal and central articles on the incidence, characteristics, and effects of sexual abuse; children's memory capacities and credibility, cognitive development, and practical issues concerning the ways in which children function in and are affected by legal institutions. All of these specialized topics are typically the focus of individual volumes, each too narrow to be of much value to students searching for a broad and clear understanding of the issues. Bull's new collection thus fills a noteworthy void; students and their teachers will be indebted to him." Michael Lamb; National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Children and the Law: The Essential Readings is edited by Ray Bull, one of the United Kingdom's foremost and pioneering forensic psychologists. This book offers a thought provoking collection of papers to illustrate the difficulties and misunderstandings that can easily arise when children's lives and experiences collide with the requirements of the law. The five parts of the book cover the victimization of children, child witnesses' reliability and credibility, children's understanding of deception, their performance in the legal system, and their position as perpetrators of crimes. Children and the Law contains an outstanding collection of original papers and summary articles by internationally recognised contributors which will challenge students and researchers in both law and the social sciences to consider their own perspectives and methodologies. Those left eager for more are given suggested further readings and reflections by the editor rooted in his personal experiences. Helen Westcott, Open University "An ideal teaching and study resource. The papers should be of value to anyone who wants to learn more about children and the courts; practising professionals and laypersons alike. It goes without saying that the volume would be of value to students of psychology, child welfare, and law." Bob Duckett, Reference Reviews, Vol 16, 2002 "An enlightening read and one to be commended." Peggy Ray, Family Law, March 2002.

Ray Bull is Professor of Psychology at the University of Portsmouth. He has published widely in the area of children and the law, especially on the topic of children as witnesses. Most recently, he has co-edited the Handbook of the Psychology of Interviewing (1999) and the Handbook of Psychology in Legal Contexts (1999) and co-authored Investigative Interviewing: Psychology and Practice (1999).