Child Maltreatment and the Law: Returning to First Principles PDF
Preview Child Maltreatment and the Law: Returning to First Principles
Child Maltreatment and the Law Roger J.R. Levesque Child Maltreatment and the Law Returning to First Principles 123 RogerJ.R.Levesque,J.D.,Ph.D. IndianaUniversity DepartmentofCriminalJustice 302SycamoreHall BloomingtonIN47405 USA ISBN978-0-387-79917-9 e-ISBN978-0-387-79918-6 LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2008931182 (cid:1)c2008SpringerScience+BusinessMedia,LLC Allrightsreserved.Thisworkmaynotbetranslatedorcopiedinwholeorinpartwithoutthewritten permission of the publisher (Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, 233 Spring Street, New York, NY10013,USA),exceptforbriefexcerptsinconnectionwithreviewsorscholarlyanalysis.Usein connectionwithanyformofinformationstorageandretrieval,electronicadaptation,computersoftware, orbysimilarordissimilarmethodologynowknownorhereafterdevelopedisforbidden. Theuseinthispublicationoftradenames,trademarks,servicemarks,andsimilarterms,eveniftheyare notidentifiedassuch,isnottobetakenasanexpressionofopinionastowhetherornottheyaresubject toproprietaryrights. Printedonacid-freepaper 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 springer.com Contents PartI Introduction:TheNatureandLimitsofChildMaltreatmentLaw 1 TheIncreasinglyCuriousResponsetoChildren’sHarms ........... 3 TheLaw’sPeculiarResponsetoChildren’sHarms:ItsPromiseand Limitations .................................................... 5 APrecipitousRiseinConflictingLegalMandatesandthePressing NeedtoReturntoFirstPrinciples.................................. 9 TheChaptersAhead............................................. 12 PartII TheLegalRegulationofFamilyLife 2 Families,ChildWelfare,andtheConstitution ..................... 17 TheRightsofParentstoControlFamilyLife ........................ 18 JustifyingStateInterventioninFamilies ............................ 23 Conclusions:WhytheLaw’sAssumptionsAboutChildrenandFamilies Matter......................................................... 30 3 SuitableFamiliesandParentsinLaw............................. 33 RecognizingATraditionalViewofFamilyLife...................... 34 TheRighttoControlProcreation.............................. 36 ClaimstoChildrenOutsideofMarriage........................ 40 TheRighttoMarry ......................................... 46 HesitatingtoProtectChildren’sTiesOutsideof NontraditionalFamilies .......................................... 49 Conclusions:OnDefiningFamilyTiesWorthProtecting............... 53 PartIII LegalResponsestoChildMaltreatment 4 Defining Maltreatment and Permitting Startlingly BroadStateIntervention........................................ 61 ChallengestoDefinitionalUniformityandClarity .................... 61 TheDiverseDefinitionsofChildMaltreatment....................... 64 v vi Contents TheFederalGovernment’sApproachtoDefining ChildMaltreatment......................................... 65 TheStates’ApproachestoDefiningChildMaltreatment .......... 67 Conclusions:TheCostsandBenefitsofDefinitionalDiversity.......... 76 5 RemovingChildrenFromMaltreatingFamilies.................... 79 RescuingChildrenFromTheirParents ............................. 81 LegislativeMandates ....................................... 81 ConstitutionalMandates..................................... 83 FourthAmendmentProtections ........................ 83 DueProcessProtections .............................. 87 ProvidingServicesandAlternativeCare ............................ 89 FederalMandates .......................................... 90 StateLegislativeResponses............................ 92 ConstitutionalMandates..................................... 97 SeveringChildren’sTiesFromTheirParents ........................101 ConstitutionalProtections ...................................101 FederalStatutes .....................................105 StateStatutes........................................106 RepresentingChildren’sIndependentInterests .......................109 ConstitutionalMandates.....................................109 FederalStatutes ............................................112 StateStatutoryMandates ....................................113 Conclusions: The Law’s Attachment to Diverse ResponsesandDiscretion ........................................116 6 EnlistingCriminalJusticeSystemsinChildProtection .............119 CraftingProceduralandEvidentiaryModifications ...................121 ProceduralModifications ....................................123 FederalStatutes .....................................125 StateStatutes........................................126 HearsayExceptions.........................................128 FederalStatutes .....................................131 StateStatutes........................................133 RecentChallenges..........................................134 IncapacitatingOffenders .........................................137 SupremeCourtJurisprudence ................................138 StateStatutes ..............................................142 ContainingOffenders ............................................144 FederalLegislation .........................................144 StateLegislation ...........................................146 SupremeCourtJurisprudence ................................149 Conclusions:TheLooseningofProtectionsFromStateControls........152 Contents vii 7 ShiftingRulesRegulatingtheRoleofExpertise....................155 TheSupremeCourtandtheFederalRulesofEvidence ................156 StateStatutoryandJudicialResponses..............................163 Conclusions:ImplicationsforAddressingChildMaltreatment..........164 PartIV ReturningtoChildWelfareLaw’sFoundations 8 RethinkingLawsRegulatingChildProtection.....................169 RecognizetheUbiquitousNatureofStateIntervention ................172 Acknowledge the Inherent Limitations of Not Taking Rights SeriouslyEnough ...............................................173 TheNatureoftheState’sHiddenAdvantages ...................174 TheLaw’sTypicalConcernsAboutHiddenAdvantages ..........176 TakeJurisprudentialDevelopmentsSeriously........................179 RecognizeSignificantDevelopmentsin Family-RelatedLiberties ....................................179 AddressUnevenDevelopmentsinChildProtectionLaws .........182 ChallengeReasonsforTreatingChildProtectionCases Differently..........................................182 Recognize the Limits of the Rapid Hybridization of ChildWelfareLaw ...................................184 AccepttheNeedtoTreatDifferentStagesofLegal InterventionDifferently .....................................187 SupportMoreEmpiricalResearchFocusingonLegalProcesses ........189 Conclusions:RecognizingtheLaw’sTransformativePower............190 AppendixA: DefiningChildMaltreatment...........................193 StateProvisionsRegulatingChildPsychologicalMaltreatment .........193 StateProvisionsRegulatingChildPhysicalMaltreatment ..............193 StateProvisionsRegulatingChildNeglect ..........................194 StateProvisionsRegulatingChildSexualMaltreatment ...............194 State Provisions Relating to Child Endangerment, Contributing to DelinquencyorDependencyofaMinorandSimilarOffenses ..........195 State Provisions Providing Exemptions from Definitions ofMaltreatment.................................................195 AppendixB: RemovingChildrenfromTheirFamilies.................197 StateProvisionsRegulatingReasonableEffortsRequirements..........197 StateProvisionsforConcurrentPlanning ...........................198 StateProvisionsRegulatingtheTerminationofParentalRights .........198 StateProvisionsRegulatingDeterminationsofChildren’s BestInterests...................................................199 Examples of State Provisions Regulating the Appointment ofCounselforParents ...........................................199 Examples of State Provisions Regulating the Appointment of RepresentationforChildren.......................................200 viii Contents AppendixC: CriminalJusticeSystemResponses .....................201 StateStatutoryProvisionsRegardingAlternativeMeansofProviding Children’sTestimony ............................................201 StateProvisionsof“TenderYears”ExceptionstoHearsayRules........201 StateProvisionsKnownas“SexuallyViolentPredatorLaws” ..........202 State Provisions “Containing” Released Sex Offenders through RegistrationandNotification......................................202 AppendixD: ExpertandScientificEvidence .........................203 States’casesdealingwiththeDaubertandFryeapproachestoscientific evidence.......................................................203 StatesExpresslyAdoptingtheDaubertStandard .....................203 StatesRetainingtheFryeStandard.................................203 StatesAdoptingVariationsorNotExplicitlyChangingorNotFully AdoptingDaubert...............................................204 StatesRejectingorNotApplyingDaubertDespiteRecognizingIt.......204 References.........................................................205 Index .............................................................209 Part I Introduction: The Nature and Limits of Child Maltreatment Law Chapter 1 The Increasingly Curious Response to Children’s Harms Thestudyofchildmaltreatmenthascomeofageandoffersusatremendouswealth of information. Scientific journals directly dealing with violence against children flourish, and numerous academic books carefully document the nature, causes, consequences, and prevention of a wide variety of harms children suffer (Helfer, Kempe, & Krugman, 1997; Kendall-Tackett & Giacomoni, 2005). In addition and atthebehestofthefederalgovernment,statesnowcollectunprecedentedamounts ofinformationrelatingtotheirresponsestochildmaltreatment(Haskins,Wulczyn, &Webb,2007).Becausethisinformationincreasinglyresultsinempiricallyrobust findings,leadingresearchersconcludethatwenowhavegainedpolicy-relevantre- search that can be harnessed to reform child protection laws and policies in ways more consistent with our empirical understanding of maltreatment and of govern- mental responses to it (Haskins, Wulczyn, & Webb, 2007). Without doubt, the progress in providing usable knowledge has been phenomenal. However, whether research findings will be used effectively, if at all, remains an entirely different matter. One perhaps could expect that our legal system would respond to empirical realities rather than popular beliefs or even misperceptions. However, that does not appear to be the typical response. Our legal system frequently does not em- brace empirical findings (Levesque, 2006), and even a cursory look at legal re- sponses to child maltreatment, including the commentaries of legal scholars, re- veals no exception to the tendency to resist social science research. For exam- ple, empirical research reveals that child neglect is the most prevalent form of maltreatment (Levesque, 2002a). Yet, neglect remains neglected: legal responses andcommentariesdisproportionatelyfocuson,forexample,childsexualmaltreat- ment(Levesque,2002a).Studiesalsoshowhowbroadsocialforces—cultural,eco- nomic, and religious, among others—contribute to child maltreatment (Levesque, 2001). Yet, the everyday life of those administering the legal system tends to fo- cus on individual children, parents, and families (Id.); the legal system even al- lowssocialfactors,suchasreligiousbeliefs,toserveas“excuses”forwhatwould otherwise be deemed maltreatment (Dwyer, 1994). Studies also document well the success of a wide variety of interventions and primary prevention programs RogerJ.R.Levesque,ChildMaltreatmentandtheLaw 3 (cid:1)c 2008SpringerScience+BusinessMedia,LLC
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