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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...
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...
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.
Jamie’s Story follows a young individual who identifies as nonbinary and serves as a victim witness in a sex trafficking case.
The story follows them as—
Throughout the graphic novel...
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...
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 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...
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...
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...
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February 19, 2021
A Copy of an Email Sent by Kathrina S. Peterson, OVC Deputy Director, on January 25, 2021
Good Afternoon Everyone,
We are providing the attached memorandum to provide clarification on the charging and certification of sexual assault forensic exams to the Crime Victims Fund Compensation Program. The Office of the Inspector General recommended that we provide clarification on this issue, particularly regarding...
