Improving Investigations of Child Sexual Abuse in Indian Country: Federal Challenges in Strategy and Policy

• In Event: Racialization of Offenders and Victims

Abstract

Since 2014, the federal government has shown growing attention in the unequal treatment of Indian children, as witnessed by new federal legislation, executive branch reports, and funding initiatives. A specific area of concern is closing the justice gap in the investigation and prosecution of allegations of child sexual abuse (CSA) inside and outside of Indian Country. Best practice criminal and civil interventions rely on information emerging from the forensic interviews of the alleged child victim conducted by trained interviewing professionals which guide police and child protective service investigations, and provide critical evidence for criminal prosecutions. Outside of Indian Country, forensic interviews usually occur in the over 900 Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs) throughout the United States. However, CAC services are rarely available in Indian Country. The federal government has responded by developing alternative means for interviewing children and encouraging CACs in Indian Country. Relying on information from 459 investigations involving Indian children occurring in Indian Country, with 4055 non-Indian Country controls, I discuss the cultural and structural challenges of bringing Indian Country CSA interviews and investigations up to the national standard, and the limitations in the federal government’s strategy proposed by to realize this goal.

Author

• Paul D. Steele, Native American Children's Alliance