The Child Victim As A Witness

This volume presents a collection of chapters by top researchers reporting the new child witness research being conducted today. In these chapters, the authors confront the major societal issues and questions that arise when children must give testimony: Do children have the cognitive capacity to recall accurately and report past events? How can knowledge of children's memory be applied to understanding children's testimony in forensic situations? Do socio-emotional or motivational factors influence the accuracy of children's reports? Are children likely to conceal or fabricate information about past events? Are there special interview techniques that might enhance the likelihood of obtaining accurate information from child witnesses? Can jurors accurately evaluate the testimony of child witnesses? Are jurors biased in ways that might preclude the fair adjudication of trials involving child witnesses? What is the emotional impact on child witnesses of involvement in legal proceedings? This book will be an invaluable reference to anyone concerned with children's testimony legal, mental health, social service, and medical professionals, students of psychology, social policy, or law, as well as practitioners and researchers.

The experience of the child victim as a courtroom witness in sexual abuse cases is examined in this study of a testing program involving 30 children aged 6 to 15. The purpose of the study was to identify needs not recognized by courts that can be responded to, denied, or exacerbated through language. Based on court transcripts, differences were studied between the language repertoire of the child and that demanded by the courtroom. Court-related language features are identified and discussed: use of negative; juxtaposition; nominalization; multifaceted questions; unclear or confused expressions; specific and difficult vocabulary; unclear anaphora; use of police statements; quoting of the child's words; quoting of other people's words; repetition of previous response; time, space and location questions; and embeddings. Results of the testing program indicate that certain types of questions posed problems for the child trying to hear language. It is suggested that court appearance is not necessarily traumatizing for a child, but becomes so when a child cannot feel sure that he or she is heard, understood, and believed. Suggestions for improved questioning are offered. An annotated bibliography is included that contains 66 references. (LB)

Grounded in the latest clinical and developmental knowledge, this book brings together leading authorities to examine the critical issues that arise when children and adolescents become involved in the justice system. Chapters explore young people’s capacities, competencies, and special vulnerabilities as victims, witnesses, and defendants. Key topics include the reliability of children’s abuse disclosures, eyewitness testimony, interviews, and confessions; the evolving role of the expert witness; the psychological impact of trauma and of legal involvement; factors that shape jurors’ perceptions of children; and what works in rehabilitating juvenile offenders. Policies and practices that are not supported by science are identified, and approaches to improving them are discussed.

Reviews new research on the consequences of child sexual abuse, the capabilities of children as witnesses, and the impact of the court process on child victims. Also analyzes pertinent statutes and case law. 16 charts and tables.