Children in the Law (CITL) Laboratory - young girl reaching for a book on a bookshelf

Children in the Law (CITL) Laboratory

About CITL

The Children in the Law Laboratory (CITL) was established in 2015 by Dr. Stacia N. Stolzenberg and focuses on how children interact with the legal system. 

​Research at CITL examines how children report maltreatment, as well as how their reports are investigated and prosecuted. This requires mixed-methods, wherein we assess what transpires in real cases and use these insights to assess children’s developmental capacities in the laboratory. The findings are then used to inform current practices and provide data-based principles for improving case decision-making, during the investigation and later prosecution of child maltreatment.

The ultimate goal of our research is to promote child safety.

​See below for more information on our four main pillars of research.