Relationship Between Conviction Rates of Child Abuse Perpetrators and Forensic Medical Examinations Performed By Trained Versus Non-Trained Examiners on Victims of Child Sexual Abuse

Thorough and detailed forensic medical examinations on sexually abused children can result in findings that make stronger cases against alleged perpetrators involved in child sexual abuse. A retrospective chart review was conducted of 1561 child abuse cases occurring in the Middle Judicial Circuit of Georgia during a 3-year period. Charts were reviewed to assess whether or not the child received a forensic medical examination and if the examination was performed by a trained or a non-trained forensic examiner. Court conviction data were obtained from the office of the district attorney in order to compare conviction rates to the forensic medical examining training. Of 1561 child abuse charts reviewed, 756 (48.4%) were sexual abuse cases. The major finding that emerged during the research, whether or not the perpetrator was convicted, was the surprising lack of forensic medical examinations being performed on children who were victims of sexual abuse. In addition, the majority of cases were never even referred to the district attorney's office for prosecution. A corollary and serendipitous finding was the emotional healing that began to take place as a result of the child receiving a forensic medical examination.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N)

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis (open access)

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

School of Nursing

Year dc:date.available

2005

Author dc:creator

• Bragg, Leila Smith

Contributors dc:contributor

• Donna Hodnicki
• Kathy Thornton

• ETD
• Child sexual abuse
• Forensic nurse examiner
• SANE
• Colposcope
• Children's advocacy centers
• Emotional healing
• Conviction rates
• Forensic medical examinations
• Child sexual abuse perpetrators
• Liability for child sexual abuse
• Georgia
• Research
• Sexually abused children

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/68

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu:etd-1068