Syllabus for Forensic Psychology: Child Abuse and the Law
(Fall 2014) PSY 557/657
Hill Hall 204 – Wednesday, 5:30 to 8:20 pm
Instructor: Stephanie L. Wan, J.D.
Office: Hill Hall, Room 303A
Office phone: (417)836-6841
Office Hours: Wednesdays, 8:30PM –
9:30PM or by appointment
Email address: StephanieWan@MissouriState.edu
Course Description: The purpose of this course is to provide students who wish to work with
children an overview of the legal system pertaining to child abuse and neglect. Students will
learn investigative techniques for child abuse investigation, including interviewing, report
writing and testifying skills, as well explore the difficulties of holding child abuse offenders
accountable. Students will learn their role as mandated reporters working as professionals with
children; the court process and management of sex offenders in the community. This course is
designed to be applicable to students working toward degrees in a variety of disciplines,
including, but not limited to: education, social work, law enforcement, child care, counseling,
and medical fields.
Lecture Outlines and Power Points: Lecture outlines and power points will be available on
Blackboard in advance of the class when the information will be covered. Students may use
these outlines, and any notes taken by the student on such outlines during the exams. No text
books or articles may be used during exams.
Required Text: Recognition of Child Abuse for the Mandated Reporter, Giardino and Giardino,
Third Edition. A copy of this book is available for purchase at the book store.
Disclaimer: This syllabus is subject to change, including additions or deletions from reading
assignments. However, the dates for exams and papers are permanent and subject to any other
policies as stated in this syllabus.
Other Readings:
 Missouri Revised Statutes Sections: Chapter 210, 211, 491 565, 566, 568 and 589.
(Available online under the “MO STATUTES” link on the Missouri Legislative website:
http://www.moga.mo.gov/) Relevant statutes will be provided to you in outlines and
powerpoints but if you wish to access the full texts yourself, be sure you are looking at
statutes updated through August 28, 2013.

Updates from the National Center for Prosecution of Child Abuse: Questioning the Child;
Tips for Medical Professionals Called as Witnesses; Emergency Medical Professionals;
Assisting in Identifying and Documenting Child Abuse and Neglect; Testifying Tips for
Child Abuse Investigators; When A Child Stands Alone: The Search for Corroborating
Evidence; When the Victim is Very Young; Assessing Allegations of Sexual Abuse in
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Pre-School Children; Tips for Investigating Child Fatalities; Working with the NonOffending Caregiver; Moving Beyond Frustration with Bad Moms: Charging
Accomplice Liability in Child Abuse Cases; The Use of Animal Assistance at Child
Advocacy Centers, Part I and Part II; How Therapy Animals Can Help Maltreated
Children.

Unto the Third Generation: A Call to End Child Abuse in the United States Within 120
Years, Victor Vieth, Hamline Journal of Public Law & Policy, Volume 28, Fall 2006.

Overreporting and underreporting of child abuse: Teachers’ use of professional
discretion, Stephen Webster, Richard O’Toole, Anita W. O’Toole, Betsy Lucal, Child
Abuse and Neglect 29 (2005) 1281-1296

Resisting Abuse at What Cost? The Impact of Mandated Reporting Law on the Process
and Content of Therapy, Rachel Brown, Melton Strozier, Contemporary Family Therapy
26(1), March 2004.

Mandated Reporting: a policy without reason, Gary B. Melton, Child Abuse and Neglect
29 (2005) 9-18.

Does the Mandate Make a Difference? Reporting Decisions in Emotional Abuse, Russell
A. Carleton, Child Abuse Review vol. 15, 19-37 (2006).

System Intervention Problems in Child Sexual Abuse Investigations: The Mother’s
Perspective, Carol A. Plummer, Julie A. Eastin, Journal of Interpersonal Violence,
Volume 6, 2007.

First One Trauma, And Now Another, Kansas City Star article, Eric Adler, July 2008.

Children’s Protective Services and Law Enforcement: Fostering Partnerships in
Investigations of Child Abuse, Bernie Sue Newman, Paul L. Dannenfelser, Journal of
Child Sexual Abuse, Vol. 14(2) 2005.

Criminal Investigations of Child Abuse: The Research Behind Best Practices, Lisa M.
Jones, Theodore P. Cross, Wendy A. Walsh, Monique Simone, Violence and Abuse, Vol.
6, July 3, 2005.

The Child Witness Protection Act Statute Section 491.725, a series of News-Leader
articles on this new law and Dee Wampler’s commentary in Missouri Lawyer’s Weekly,
Child Witness Protection Act is Unnecessary.

Other readings as determined by the instructor.
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Grading:
Mid-term examination
Paper- court observation
Paper- court observation
Research Paper
Class Participation
Final Examination
100 points (20%)
25 points (5%)
25 points (5%)
200 points (40%)
50 points (10%)
100 points (20%)
______________
500 points
Total
Grading Scale
A = 90-100 B = 80-89 C = 70-79 D = 60-69 F = 59 or less
Plus and minus will not be given for this class.
Research paper:
This scholarly writing must be twelve pages in length for graduate students and eight pages in
length for undergraduates. Students will choose a topic related to child advocacy (examples are:
pornography and how it related to child abuse, the efficacy of sex offender registries, risk
assessment tools for sex offenders, foster care and its effects on children, drug affected
newborns, domestic violence and the intersection of child neglect, or any other topic of interest
to you). Students will: develop an annotated bibliography and an outline of the paper, due on
October 8, 2014. Research must include at least eight different sources and three of these must
be published in 2006 or more recently. The final paper is due November 19, 2014. Students
must use the APA method for annotating this paper. For those of you unfamiliar with this
method, please reference: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/. You can Google
“APA format, Purdue University” or “Purdue OWL: APA Formatting and Style Guide” and find
this website.
Court Observation:
You will be required to attend two court sessions to observe a total of four hours of criminal
court and write two four page papers about your observations. This may include: observations
about the court process, responsibilities and roles of the participants, observations about
demeanor and attitude observed or your feelings/observations of the outcomes you observe.
These papers are not designed for you to regurgitate the content of what you observed but to
comment on your observations. The first paper is due on September 24, 2014. The second paper
is due on October 22, 2014. If you are unable to attend court due to your class or work schedule,
you may replace the court observation with suspect interviews. You will be given an opportunity
to sign out DVDs of interviews of suspects to view. We will not have class on August 27, 2014
to offset the required court observation.
Attendance Policy: Attendance is expected. Missing a class, or classes, will be reflected in your
class participation grade. If you must miss class for good reason, you must communicate with
the instructor in advance of the class to be missed. Attendance will be taken at each class period
and you will need to sit in the same seat in the classroom during each class period.
Tests and Assignments: Assignments must be turned in at the beginning of the class period on
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the date they are due to receive full credit. ASSIGNMENTS MAY NOT BE TURNED IN
ELECTRONICALLY. YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE CREDIT FOR YOUR WORK
UNLESS IT IS TURNED IN BY YOU AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CLASS PERIOD
IN WHICH IT IS DUE. Late assignments will be accepted at the beginning of the following
class period for 50% credit. Any arrangement to turn an assignment in late MUST be preapproved. On exam days, students may be late starting the exam only until the first person
completes the exam and leaves the room. Once that person has physically left the room, no
person arriving late may begin taking the exam. As a general rule, no make-ups will be given for
missed tests. However, exceptions will be made in rare circumstances where a student provides
proof of the circumstance that made it impossible for him or her to attend. (This will be a
medical or family emergency, not a scheduling conflict.)
Academic Dishonesty Policy: The MSU University Policy will be followed concerning cheating
and or plagiarism. You are responsible for knowing and following the university’s student honor
code, Student Academic Integrity Policies and Procedures, available at
http://www.missouristate.edu/provost/22102.htm and also available at the Reserves Desk in
Meyer Library. Any student participating in any form of academic dishonesty will be subject to
sanctions as described in this policy including being given an XF in the course.
Dropping a Class: it is your responsibility to understand the University’s procedure for
dropping a class. If you stop attending this class but do not follow proper procedure for dropping
the class, you will receive a failing grade and will also be financially obligated to pay for the
class. For information about dropping a class or withdrawing from the university, contact the
Office of the Registrar at 836-5520.
Classroom Behavior: This will be an interactive course which will use discussion, case studies
and other techniques to provide students with the ability and knowledge to understand some of
the significant issues related to child abuse investigations and reports. Students will be expected
to share their views and opinions, while being respectful of others expressing their views and
opinions. The use by students of cell phones, pagers, PDAs, or similar communication devices
during scheduled classes is prohibited. All such devices must be turned off, or put in a silent
mode and cannot be taken out during class. At the discretion of the instructor, exception to this
policy is possible in special circumstances. The instructor will require a student to leave the
classroom if his or her behavior violates this policy.
Disability Accommodation Policy: To request academic accommodations for a disability,
contact the Director of Disability Services, Plaster Student Union, Suite 405, (417) 836-4192 or
(417) 836-6792 (TTY), http://www.missouristate.edu/disability. Students are required to provide
documentation of disability to Disability Services prior to receiving accommodations. Disability
Services refers some types of accommodation requests to the Learning Diagnostic Clinic, which
also provides diagnostic testing for learning and psychological disabilities. For information
about testing, contact the Director of the Learning Diagnostic Clinic, (417) 836-4787,
http://psychology.missouirstate.edu/ldc.
Missouri State University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution, and maintains a
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grievance procedure available to any person who believes he or she has been discriminated
against. At all times, it is your right to address inquiries or concerns about possible
discrimination to the Office for Equity and Diversity, Siceluff Hall 296, (417) 836-4252. Other
concerns (i.e. of an academic nature) should be discussed directly with your instructor and can
also be brought to the attention of your instructor’s Department Head.
CLASS SCHEDULE
August 20, 2014: Course Introduction
 Syllabus review
 Introduction to the Missouri Revised Statutes
 Introduction to the historical context of child abuse and neglect
 Questions for students
August 27, 2014: NO Class
September 3, 2014: Why Is It So Difficult to Prosecute Child Abuse Cases?;
Overview of the Criminal Justice System: Burdens of proof for different
legal proceedings, courtroom procedures, hearings, trials.
 READING: Text Chapter 1
 READING: Text Chapter 2
September 10, 2014: Overview of the Criminal Justice System: Burdens of proof for different
legal proceedings, courtroom procedures, hearings, and trials, continued.
 READING: Text Chapter 3
 READING: Text Chapter 4
 READING: 566, 565, 568 and 491 RSMo.
September 17, 2014: Mandated Reporter Presentation
September 24, 2014: FIRST COURT OBSERVATION PAPER DUE
Overview of Missouri Statutes Involving Child Victims
 READING: First one trauma, and now another, Kansas City Star July 2008
 READING: System Intervention Problems in Child Sexual Abuse Investigations: The
Mother’s Perspectives
 READING: UPDATE: When a Child Stands Alone: The Search for Corroborating
Evidence
 READING: Text Chapter 5
October 1, 2014: Overview of Missouri Statutes Involving Child Victims, continued.
 READING: UPDATE: Questioning the Child
 READING: Criminal Investigations of Child Abuse
 READING: Children’s Protective Services and Law Enforcement: Fostering Partnerships
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
in Investigations of Child Abuse (optional)
READING: text chapter 6
October 8, 2014: OUTLINE AND ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY DUE
Overview of the Juvenile Justice System
 READING: Mandated reporting; a policy without reason
 READING: Unto the Third Generation: A Call to End Child Abuse in 120 Years
 READING: text chapter 7
October 15, 2014: Overview of the Juvenile Justice System, continued.
 VIDEO of suspect interview watched in class
 READING: Overreporting and underreporting of child abuse: Teachers’ use of
professional discretion
 READING: Resisting Abuse at What Cost? The Impact of Mandated Reporting Laws on
the Process and Content of Therapy
 READING: Text Chapter 8
October 22, 2014: SECOND COURT OBSERVATION PAPER DUE
Police Investigations of Child Abuse
 READING: Text Chapter 9
 READING: UPDATE: Tips for Investigating Child Fatalities
 READING: Text Chapter 10
October 29, 2014: MID TERM EXAMINATION (open note)
Dynamics of Sex Offenders, Registration Laws
 READING: Does the Mandate Make a Difference? Reporting Decisions in Emotional
Abuse
 READING: UPDATES: When the Victim is Very Young; Assessing Allegations of
Sexual Abuse in Pre-School Children; Working with the Non-Offending Caregiver.
 READING: Text Chapter 11
 READING: Text Chapter 12
November 5, 2014: Babies Born Addicted to Drugs;
Failure to Protect;
Parent’s Choosing Change Court.
 READING: Text Chapter 13
 READING: Text Chapter 14
 READING: RSMo §1.205
 READING: RSMo §568.045
 READING: State v. Wade, 232 S.W.3d 663
 READING: State v. Gray, 62 Ohio St. 3d 514
 READING: Whitener v. State, 328 S.C. 1
 READING: Commonwealth v. Welch, 864 S.W.2d 280
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November 12, 2014: Failure to Protect, continued.
 READING: “Chapter 9: Motherhood and Battering” – Battered Women & Feminist
Lawmaking (Elizabeth M. Schneider)
 READING: To be determined.
November 19, 2014: RESEARCH PAPER DUE
Overview of SAFE exams, Medical Evidence in Child Abuse Cases;
Child Witness Protection Act
 READING: UPDATE: Tips for Medical Professionals Called As Witnesses
 READING: UPDATE: Testifying Tips for Child Abuse Investigators
November 26, 2014: NO CLASS – Thanksgiving Break
December 3, 2014: Barb Brown’s power point presentation on preparing kids for court
Kids’ Court and BACA video
Testifying Tips, Report Writing
 READING: Child Witness Protection statute and articles.
 READING: UPDATE: The Use of Animal Assistance at Child Advocacy Centers, Part
I and Part II; How Therapy Animals Can Help Maltreated Children.
 READING: Text Chapter 15
December 10, 2014: FINAL EXAMINATION (take home).
 Scheduled at Hill 204 from 5:30PM to 8:20PM. You must come to Hill 105 at 8:20PM to
drop off your exam. You may not deliver it electronically.
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