Preparing Children for Court , page 3
Part 3: The Three Bs Be a teacher...
The children will have to communicate to the court. Part of your role will be to provide a normal life for the child so that he/she will be able to describe events or things and answer questions.
Young children in particular do not have a fully developed sense of time. Often they can not describe when events occurred. Talk about seasons, months and, if appropriate, days of the week. Does the child understand general terms like morning, afternoon, before and after, etc.?
Children may also need help sorting out family relationships such as cousin, stepmother, boyfriend, etc.
In a sexual abuse case, however, do NOT try to teach a child the proper names for body parts or bodily functions. Normally, only an adult would use these words so it could give the impression that the child has been told what to say and could destroy their credibility.
Be honest...
Make sure the child knows the difference between truth and make-believe. With youngchildren, the court must determine if the child understands the oath and what it means to tell the truth. This is a crucial first step which may determine whether the child can testify at all.
Be a role model by being honest with the child. Show them what honesty is, how a honest person acts, etc. The child will learn the importance of telling the truth by seeing good examples.
But...
Bite your emotional tongue...
If you are worried about the case, meeting the attorneys, appearing in court, etc., the child probably will see this and also be worried. Try to be confident but don't be afraid to let them know that these kind of feelings are normal and everyone, including social workers and lawyers, experiences them.
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3© Emil Baldwin, Jr., LSW
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