Trauma‐informed justice in child abuse cases: A literature review

Abstract Child abuse is a pervasive form of gender‐based violence that inflicts lasting trauma on its victims, their families, and their communities. Participation in the criminal legal system can exacerbate this trauma, particularly for children and youth experiencing intersecting and systemic inequalities. Trauma‐informed practices have emerged as a framework for various systems to recognize the effects of trauma and adapt interactions to promote healing and reduce re‐traumatization. This raises an overarching question of what the elements of a trauma‐informed approach to child abuse in the criminal legal system are. This article synthesizes the state of the literature and current practices as they relate to trauma‐informed approaches for children and youth victimized by child abuse who are engaged with the criminal legal system, focusing on the Canadian legal and policy context. We summarize the impact of legal system involvement for these children and youth and explore how trauma‐informed approaches are conceptualized within the criminal legal system, including restorative and transformative justice approaches. We also identify core elements of trauma‐informed approaches to the legal process in child abuse cases and the associated policy and practice implications for the criminal legal system. Lastly, we identify gaps in the literature and outline future directions and recommendations for research to expand knowledge and reduce system‐induced trauma for these vulnerable young people.