This ground-breaking text examines the legal contexts in which child abuse can be handled including the criminal juvenile domestic relations and civil courts. The authors focus on the legal rules in each type of proceeding and the ways in which the law has changed to accommodate the special needs of children in the last fifteen years. Case studies provide examples and help identify the most important issues of child abuse facing the legal system. Child abuse is now a major part of the American legal landscape involving not only the courts but also the law enforcement and child protection agencies. This is the first text for classroom use to systematically examine the fate of children in the legal system.