Domestic violence

Practitioner and Parent/Caregiver Guides

These materials were specifically designed to appeal to children of different age groups (ages 2–6, ages 7–12, and ages 13–18). However, you can use whichever set of materials seems most appropriate, given the child’s stage of development.

For each age group, there are materials about the criminal justice system and the child welfare system.

The goal of these materials is to provide...

A Guide for Practitioners

Child Victims and Witnesses Support Materials includes materials for young children ages 2 to 6 years old, school-age children ages 7 to 12 years old, and youth ages 13 to 18 years old. However, you can use whichever set of materials seems most appropriate for each child, given their stage of development.

For each age group, there are materials about the...

Summary

What Is Your Job? In Family or Dependency Court is a picture book in the Brave Maya series that explains the different roles of people that a child may interact with or hear about throughout their child welfare cases and in family or dependency court. It includes information on the role of the child in court and...

A Guide for Practitioners

These materials were designed for youth aged 12−18 who have experienced sex and labor trafficking, to help inform and empower them as they navigate through the justice system.

Funded by the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), these materials were created with the input of those with similar lived experiences, and expert practitioners working in the anti-trafficking field.

While the materials...

Summary

Who Is Everybody? In Family or Dependency Court is a brief guide in the I Am Isabella series that explains the different roles of people that a child may hear of or interact with throughout their child welfare case and in family or dependency court.

It includes practical tips for preparing for court and information on some...

Family and Dependency Court Resources

Use these materials with children and youth who may have involvement with family and dependency court as the victim of or witness to a crime. The materials teach children about how the child welfare system works, what their rights are, and how they can cope with the difficult feelings they might have during the process.

Character booklets about court roles...

A Guide for Parents and Caregivers

Child Victims and Witnesses Support Materials includes materials for young children ages 2 to 6 years old, school-age children ages 7 to 12 years old, and youth ages 13 to 18 years old. For each age group, there are materials about the criminal justice system and the child welfare system, so you can choose the materials that will be...

Summary

There’s More To Me is a graphic novel that tells the stories of five different youth—Alex, Jamal, Jesse, Amy, and Ari. Each character has their own experience as a victim or witness in a criminal case.

To illustrate the common occurrences in criminal cases in which youth are victims or witnesses, the stories showcase the characters interacting with victim...

A Guide for Parents and Caregivers

These materials were designed for youth aged 12−18 who have experienced sex and labor trafficking, to help inform and empower them as they navigate through the justice system.

They were created with the input of those with similar lived experiences, and expert practitioners working in the anti-trafficking field.

While the materials are intended to be relatable to the broadest...

Summary

Brave Oscar tells the story of what happens to a little boy named Oscar after his father is arrested.

To illustrate the common occurrences in criminal cases in which children are victims or witnesses, the story follows Oscar as he meets with a victim advocate and receives counseling, goes to court and testifies (this section is optional and may...

Summary

I Am Isabella tells the story of what happens to a young girl named Isabella after a caseworker visits her home.

To illustrate common occurrences in child welfare cases, the story follows Isabella as she meets a caseworker, talks to a counselor at school, goes to court and meets her advocate, and builds a network of support...

Acknowledgments

The Center for Court Innovation’s Child Witness Materials Project is a collaborative effort between the Center for Court Innovation, Center for Urban Pedagogy, and Alternate History Comics and is supported by cooperative agreements #2016-VF-GX-K011 and #2018-V3-GX-K069, awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office for Victims of Crime. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in these...

Summary

Who’s That? In Family or Dependency Court—a complementary piece to It’s Not Just You—is a brief guide that explains the different roles of people that a teenager may interact with or hear about throughout their child welfare case and in family or dependency court. It includes practical tips for preparing for court and information on some...

Summary

What Is Your Job? In Criminal Court—a companion piece to Brave Oscar—is a picture book that explains the different roles of people that a child may interact with or hear about throughout a criminal case and in criminal court. It includes information on the role of the child in court and an illustration of a courtroom.

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Human Trafficking Resources

Child and youth victims of trafficking have unique needs and experiences, both in terms of the dynamics of their exploitation and their potential interaction with the criminal justice system as a victim-defendant.

Unlike most other child victims and witnesses, trafficking survivors may have different roles within the justice system, including as a defendant in a criminal case. It is vital that...