Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2011 Sep:2011:13.
Epub 2011 Sep 21.

From lab bench to court bench: using science to inform decisions in juvenile court

Cindy S Lederman

From lab bench to court bench: using science to inform decisions in juvenile court

Cindy S Lederman. Cerebrum. 2011 Sep.

Abstract

Juvenile court judges are asked to determine what is in the best interest of the child in every case they hear. As Judge Cindy S. Lederman writes, making these decisions without an awareness of the science of child development can be detrimental to the mental and physical well-being of the child. Yet until about a decade ago, court decisions were routinely made without taking into consideration the needs of toddlers and infants. The Miami Child Well-Being Court™ (MCWBC) program, a partnership of clinicians and judges, has brought science into the courtroom, making it integral to the decision-making process and working to ensure that the needs of the child are met.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Shonkoff JP, Bales SN. Science does not speak for itself: Translating child development research for the public and its policymakers. Child Development. 2011;82(1):17–32. - PubMed
    1. Lamb ME. Child development and the law. In: Lerner RM, Easterbrooks MA, Mistry J, editors. Handbook of psychology. Vol. 6. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons; 2003.
    1. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004, Pub. L. No. 108–446, 118 U.S.C. § 632 (2004).
    1. National Scientific Council Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University The science of early child development: Closing the gap between what we know and what we do. 2007. Retrieved December 10, 2007, from www.developingchild.net.
    1. Casanueva CE, Urato MP, Goldman-Fraser J, Lederman CS, Katz LF. Need and receipt of early intervention services among infants and toddlers investigated for maltreatment: Findings from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being II (NSCAW II); Paper presented at the Zero to Three National Training Institute; Phoenix, AZ. 2010.

LinkOut - more resources