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These materials were created specifically for children and youth in Tribal communities by Native authors and illustrators and are tailored to the needs of young children (ages 2 to 6), school-age children (ages 7 to 12), and teens (ages 13 to 18) who have been the victim and/or witness to a crime and are interacting with Tribal, state, and/or...
These materials were created specifically for children and youth in Tribal communities by Native authors and illustrators and are tailored to the needs of young children (ages 2 to 6), school-age children (ages 7 to 12), and teens (ages 13 to 18) who have been the victim and/or witness to a crime and are interacting with Tribal, state, and/or federal justice...
These materials were created specifically for children and youth in Tribal communities by Native authors and illustrators and are tailored to the needs of young children (ages 2 to 6), school-age children (ages 7 to 12), and teens (ages 13 to 18) who have been the victim and/or witness to a crime and are interacting with Tribal, state, and/or federal justice...
This booklet accompanies Marvelous Mitch and describes the jobs of the different grownups the reader might meet.
The grownups may be from the reader’s Tribe or a different Tribe, or may work for the local, state, or Federal Government.
The book also addresses rights in the criminal legal system.
View...
Marvelous Mitch follows the story of a school-age kid who is a witness in a criminal court case and goes to federal court.
She meets with new adults, like a victim advocate, who ask her questions, teach her how the legal system works, and help her feel better.
View online...
This booklet accompanies Edgar’s Journey and describes the jobs of the different grownups the reader might meet.
The grownups may be from the reader’s Tribe or a different Tribe, or may work for the local, state, or Federal Government.
The book also addresses rights in the child welfare system.
View...
Edgar’s Journey tells the story of a school-age child named Edgar, who has to go to the state courthouse with his grandpa to talk about what is happening in his family.
He meets some new adults, goes to new places, and learns about asking for help and things he can do to feel better.
This booklet accompanies Marvis & Rockee and describes the jobs of the different grownups the reader might meet.
The grownups may be from the reader’s Tribe or a different Tribe, or may work for the local, state, or Federal Government.
View online or print on an office printer.
Marvis & Rockee tells the story of a little boy named Marvis who is a witness in a criminal court case.
He and his toy coyote, Rockee, meet with different grown-ups, like advocates and attorneys, who ask him questions about what happened, and share techniques with him to help him cope with how he’s feeling...
This booklet accompanies Aiyana’s Journey and describes the jobs of the different grownups the reader might meet.
The grownups may be from the reader’s Tribe or a different Tribe, or may work for the local, state, or Federal Government.
View online or print on an office printer.
Aiyana’s Journey tells the story of what happens to a little girl named Aiyana after social workers visit her home on the reservation because her mom needs help taking care of her.
She meets some new grownups, goes to some new places, and learns about things she can do to feel better. Throughout the story, Aiyana...
Children and youth in Tribal communities who are victims and witnesses encounter unique challenges while navigating the justice system. Jurisdictional conflicts and variation in Tribal justice system structure and processes can be confusing and overwhelming for child victims and witnesses and their families.
Many child victims and witnesses have endured multiple forms of violence and victimization over...
Children are some of the most vulnerable members of our society and are widely held as needing greater care and protection. However, despite this, children are frequently victims of or witnesses to violence, abuse, and other crimes, including domestic violence, community violence, physical assault, sexual assault, commercial sexual exploitation, and child maltreatment.
Resulting from these high rates of exposure to violence, crime, and abuse...
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...
Maya’s Homes—a companion piece to Brave Maya—tells the story of what happens to Maya after she is removed from her home and placed with another caregiver, her auntie.
To illustrate common occurrences in cases of child removal, the story follows Maya as she has questions about and adjusts to life in her new home; regularly...
Who Is Everybody? In Criminal Court is a brief guide in the I Am Malik series that explains the different roles of people that a child may interact with or hear about throughout their criminal case and in criminal court. It includes practical tips for preparing for court and information on some rights to which children are entitled.
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...
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...
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...
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...
Use these materials with children and youth who may have involvement with the justice system as the victim of or witness to a crime. The materials teach children about how the justice system works, what their rights are, and how they can cope with the difficult feelings they might have during the process.
Character booklets about criminal court roles and tips for coping are available...
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...
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...
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...
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.
