Civil and Criminal Justice Responses to the Sexual Victimization of American Indian and Alaska Native Children

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is an intensely private act, but it can also be seen as a significant social problem. It causes great harm to not only child victims but also families, occurs on an unacceptably frequent basis and, in response, has resulted in the creation of an elaborate and confusing system of laws, civil and criminal justice agencies, and treatment services. As such, CSA has been widely discussed in academic research literature and the public media. However, very little attention has been focused on the sexual victimization of American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) children and the actions of justice agencies and professionals. Are the experiences and outcomes of CSA for victims, offenders, families, and communities different when the victim is a Native child? If so, is this because the patterns and dynamics of CSA episodes differ when they involve AIAN or non-AIAN children? Is it due to ethno-racial differences in the manner and extent that justice, protection, and services are provided? Or both? While pointing out their limitations, this book addresses these questions using government data and the results of scholarly research. It also provides detailed analysis and discussion of original data offering new insights and casting CSA in a larger historical and contemporary context related to relations between tribal, federal, and state governments. It concludes with recommendations to improve and make more equitable the responses of justice agencies when AIAN children have been victimized.

Paul D. Steele, PhD, is an emeritus professor of sociology and criminology at the University of New Mexico, senior research fellow at the National Center for Adoption and Permanency, consultant, and program evaluator. He is the past director of the New Mexico Criminal Justice Analysis Center, director of the Center for Justice Studies at Morehead State University, and director of research at the Vera Institute of Justice. He has studied and written about child sexual abuse and the response of criminal and civil justice agencies since 1977. He is the author of over 50 journal articles and book chapters, over 50 technical reports for government agencies, and has testified before the U.S. Senate concerning civil and criminal justice responses to the sexual abuse of AIAN children.