{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,8]],"date-time":"2025-05-08T13:18:47Z","timestamp":1746710327567,"version":"3.40.5"},"reference-count":17,"publisher":"American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)","issue":"6","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2008,6,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>OBJECTIVE. The goal was to examine the case flow of child physical abuse prosecutions through the judicial system and to examine determinants of charges and sentencing decisions.<\/jats:p>\n               <jats:p>METHODS. This prospective cohort study monitored all defendants in identified cases of inflicted traumatic brain injury in North Carolina in 2000 and 2001. Victims were identified prospectively through surveillance at all PICUs in North Carolina and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Suspected perpetrators were identified through information from families, hospital records, newspaper clippings, the Department of Corrections, and Clerks of Superior Court. Judicial case flow from original charges through sentencing was mapped. The victims' injury characteristics and suspects' characteristics, including potential mitigating and aggravating factors, were examined. Suspected perpetrator and victim characteristics were entered into multivariate models for examination of associations with charges and sentencing decisions.<\/jats:p>\n               <jats:p>RESULTS. Original and final charges varied widely. The most frequent original and final charge was the lowest-class felony child abuse charge. The child's death was predictive of higher felony charges. Sentences ranged from probation to life in prison. Of the defendants who were found to be guilty, 63% were incarcerated for some period of time. Severe sentences were associated with perpetrator race.<\/jats:p>\n               <jats:p>CONCLUSIONS. Prosecutors frequently charged the lowest felony child abuse charge available unless the child died. Minority status was not important in the decision to bring charges against a suspect but was the most important measured factor in rendering a sentence. Although the most appropriate charges and sentences can be argued, there seems to be a statewide bias toward harsher sentences for minority perpetrators.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1542\/peds.2007-1846","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2008,6,2]],"date-time":"2008-06-02T14:15:50Z","timestamp":1212416150000},"page":"1174-1180","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["Race Matters in the Prosecution of Perpetrators of Inflicted Traumatic Brain Injury"],"prefix":"10.1542","volume":"121","author":[{"given":"Heather T.","family":"Keenan","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Critical Care, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Maryalice","family":"Nocera","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Injury Prevention Research Center"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Desmond K.","family":"Runyan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Departments of Social Medicine"},{"name":"Pediatrics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"417","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2008,6,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"2021120905444513700_R1","unstructured":"Mason MA. From Father's Property to Children's Rights: The History of Child Custody in the United States. New York, NY: Columbia University Press; 1994"},{"key":"2021120905444513700_R2","unstructured":"Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act. 42 USC (no A) \u00a75101\u20135106 (1974)"},{"key":"2021120905444513700_R3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Runyan DK, Everson MD, Edelsohn GA, Hunter WM, Coulter ML. Impact of legal intervention on sexually abused children. J Pediatr.\u20081988;113(4):647\u2013653","DOI":"10.1016\/S0022-3476(88)80373-1"},{"key":"2021120905444513700_R4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Barth R, Biemer P, Runyan D, et al. Methodological lessons from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being: the first 3 years of the USA's first national probability study of children and families investigated for abuse and neglect. Child Youth Serv Rev.\u20082002;24(6\u20137):513\u2013541","DOI":"10.1016\/S0190-7409(02)00199-8"},{"key":"2021120905444513700_R5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Keenan HT, Runyan DK, Marshall SW, Nocera MA, Merten DF, Sinal SH. A population-based study of inflicted traumatic brain injury in young children. JAMA.\u20082003;290(5):621\u2013626","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.290.5.621"},{"key":"2021120905444513700_R6","unstructured":"North Carolina General Statutes: section 14\u2013318.4: child abuse a felony. Available at: www.ncga.state.nc.us\/enactedlegislation\/statutes\/pdf\/bysection\/chapter_14\/gs_14\u2013318.4.pdf. Accessed February 5, 2007"},{"key":"2021120905444513700_R7","unstructured":"North Carolina Department of Corrections. Home page. Available at: www.doc.state.nc.us\/offenders. Accessed January 2006"},{"key":"2021120905444513700_R8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Cross TP, De Vos E, Whitcomb D. Prosecution of child sexual abuse: which cases are accepted?Child Abuse Negl.\u20081994;18(8):663\u2013677","DOI":"10.1016\/0145-2134(94)90016-7"},{"key":"2021120905444513700_R9","unstructured":"Bourassa S, Andreescu V. Racial Fairness in Sentencing: A Case Study of Selected Crimes in Jefferson County. Louisville, KY: Urban Studies Institute, University of Louisville; 2004"},{"key":"2021120905444513700_R10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Keenan HT, Runyan DK, Marshall SW, Nocera MA, Merten DF. A population-based comparison of clinical and outcome characteristics of young children with serious inflicted and noninflicted traumatic brain injury. Pediatrics.\u20082004;114(3):633\u2013639","DOI":"10.1542\/peds.2003-1020-L"},{"key":"2021120905444513700_R11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Dixon J. The organizational context of criminal sentencing. Am J Sociol.\u20081995;100(5):1157\u20131198","DOI":"10.1086\/230635"},{"key":"2021120905444513700_R12","unstructured":"US Census Bureau. State and county quickfacts: North Carolina. Available at: http:\/\/quickfacts.census.gov\/qfd\/states\/37000.html. Accessed February 26, 2007"},{"key":"2021120905444513700_R13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Barlow KM, Thomson E, Johnson D, Minns RA. Late neurologic and cognitive sequelae of inflicted traumatic brain injury in infancy. Pediatrics.\u20082005;116(2). Available at: www.pediatrics.org\/cgi\/content\/full\/116\/2\/e174","DOI":"10.1542\/peds.2004-2739"},{"key":"2021120905444513700_R14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Keenan HT, Hooper SR, Wetherington CE, Nocera M, Runyan DK. Neurodevelopmental consequences of early traumatic brain injury in 3-year-old children. Pediatrics.\u20082007;119(3). Available at: www.pediatrics.org\/cgi\/content\/full\/119\/3\/e616","DOI":"10.1542\/peds.2006-2313"},{"key":"2021120905444513700_R15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Cross TP, Walsh WA, Simone M, Jones LM. Prosecution of child abuse: a meta-analysis of rates of criminal justice decisions. Trauma Violence Abuse.\u20082003;4(4):323\u2013340","DOI":"10.1177\/1524838003256561"},{"key":"2021120905444513700_R16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Heger A, Ticson L, Velasquez O, Bernier R. Children referred for possible sexual abuse: medical findings in 2384 children. Child Abuse Negl.\u20082002;26(6\u20137):645\u2013659","DOI":"10.1016\/S0145-2134(02)00339-3"},{"key":"2021120905444513700_R17","unstructured":"Unah I, Boger J. Race and the Death Penalty in North Carolina: An Empirical Analysis: 1993\u20131997. Durham, NC: Common Sense Foundation; 2001. Available at: www.common-sense.org\/pdfs\/NCDeathPenaltyReport2001.pdf. Accessed April 14, 2008"}],"container-title":["Pediatrics"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/publications.aap.org\/pediatrics\/article-pdf\/121\/6\/1174\/1123329\/zpe00608001174.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"syndication"},{"URL":"https:\/\/publications.aap.org\/pediatrics\/article-pdf\/121\/6\/1174\/1123329\/zpe00608001174.pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2021,12,9]],"date-time":"2021-12-09T23:27:15Z","timestamp":1639092435000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/publications.aap.org\/pediatrics\/article\/121\/6\/1174\/72729\/Race-Matters-in-the-Prosecution-of-Perpetrators-of"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2008,6,1]]},"references-count":17,"journal-issue":{"issue":"6","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2008,6,1]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2008,6,1]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1542\/peds.2007-1846","relation":{},"ISSN":["0031-4005","1098-4275"],"issn-type":[{"type":"print","value":"0031-4005"},{"type":"electronic","value":"1098-4275"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2008,6,1]]}}}