About the book
In the first half of the twentieth century, Americans' intense concern with sex crimes against children led to a wave of public discussion, legislative action, and criminal prosecution. Stephen Robertson provides the first large-scale, long-term study of how American criminal courts dealt with the prosecution of sexual violence against children.
Robertson describes how the nineteenth-century approach to childhood as a single phase of innocence began to shift at the end of the century to include several stages of childhood development, prompting reformers to create legal categories such as statutory rape and carnal abuse to protect children. However, while ordinary New Yorkers' involvement in the prosecution of those offenses reshaped their understandings of who was a child and produced a new concern to establish the age of their sexual partners, their beliefs in childhood innocence and in a concept of sexuality centered on sexual intercourse remained unchanged. As a result, families' use of the law and jurors' decisions ultimately diminished the protection the new laws offered to children. Robertson’s study, based on the previously unexamined files of the New York County district attorney’s office, reveals the importance of child sexuality and sex crimes in twentieth-century American culture.
Editions of Crimes against Children
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780807829325
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780807855966
- EBook
- ISBN 9780807876480
- PDF
- ISBN 9798890873217
Read an Excerpt
In the first half of the twentieth century, Americans' intense concern with sex crimes against children led to a wave of public discussion, legislative action, and criminal prosecution. Stephen Robertson provides the first large-scale, long-term study of how American criminal courts dealt with the prosecution of sexual violence against children.
Robertson describes how the nineteenth-century approach to childhood as a single phase of innocence began to shift at the end of the century to include several stages of childhood development, prompting reformers to create legal categories such as statutory rape and carnal abuse to protect children. However, while ordinary New Yorkers' involvement in the prosecution of those offenses reshaped their understandings of who was a child and produced a new concern to establish the age of their sexual partners, their beliefs in childhood innocence and in a concept of sexuality centered on sexual intercourse remained unchanged. As a result, families' use of the law and jurors' decisions ultimately diminished the protection the new laws offered to children. Robertson’s study, based on the previously unexamined files of the New York County district attorney’s office, reveals the importance of child sexuality and sex crimes in twentieth-century American culture.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Crimes against Children about?
In the first half of the twentieth century, Americans' intense concern with sex crimes against children led to a wave of public discussion, legislative action, and criminal prosecution. Stephen Robertson provides the first large-scale, long-term study of how American criminal courts dealt with the prosecution of sexual violence against children.
Robertson describes how the nineteenth-century approach to childhood as a single phase of innocence began to shift at the end of the century to include several stages of childhood development, prompting reformers to create legal categories such as statutory rape and carnal abuse to protect children. However, while ordinary New Yorkers' involvement in the prosecution of those offenses reshaped their understandings of who was a child and produced a new concern to establish the age of their sexual partners, their beliefs in childhood innocence and in a concept of sexuality centered on sexual intercourse remained unchanged. As a result, families' use of the law and jurors' decisions ultimately diminished the protection the new laws offered to children. Robertson’s study, based on the previously unexamined files of the New York County district attorney’s office, reveals the importance of child sexuality and sex crimes in twentieth-century American culture.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Crimes against Children?
Law > Laws of specific jurisdictions and specific areas of law > Family law > Family law: children
Where can I read a sample of Crimes against Children?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780807829325
How long is Crimes against Children and how many pages does it have?
Crimes against Children has 352 page(s)
Is Crimes against Children part of a series, and can it be read as a standalone?
Yes it is a part of series Studies in Legal History
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Crimes against Children?
Stephen Robertson
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Crimes against Children is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780807829325) and paperback(ISBN 9780807855966) and ebook(ISBN 9780807876480) and pdf(ISBN 9798890873217)
Where can I buy Crimes against Children online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Crimes against Children from below
Where can I buy Crimes against Children?