Child Development - Lecture Seven Flashcards
Children as Witnesses
The Child Sexual Abuse Dilemma
Children unwilling to disclose abuse because they don’t know it’s wrong
Medical/physical evidence rarely present as children often wait a period of time to speak of it
Absence of eyewitnesses
Child witness controversy
What governs children’s ability to act as reliable witnesses?
Memory
Verbal Reports
Suggestibility
Memory
Early memories are limited by: short duration, context dependence, language knowledge and knowledge base
What age are children able to provide forensically relevant information about past events?
4 or 5
Free recall accounts
Highly accurate but brief
Verbal reports
As questions become more specific, children give more detail, but also make more errors - as detail goes up, accuracy goes down
Suggestibility
the degree to which one’s memory and/or recounting of an event is influenced by suggested information or misinformation
What are the two types of suggestibility
Cognitively-driven and socially-driven
Inappropriate questioning in Child Sexual Abuse Trials
Kelly Michaels Case
McMartin Preschool Case
Types of examinations
Direct, cross and re-examination
Potential problems for child witnesses
Lack of legal knowledge
Confronting the accused
Courtroom environment
Cross-examination
Lack of legal knowledge
Knowledge of vocabulary and procedure
Confronting the accused
Can make children less willing to incriminate
Effects likely to increase when children have been threatened?
Courtroom environment
Large group of strangers
Elevation of judge
Isolation of witness box
Formal attire
Cross-examination
Child is questioned by the opposing lawyer which aims is to discredit testimony
A “how not to” guide to interviewing children as questions are often leading, complex, confusing, and challenging to credibility causing most children change at least one part of their earlier testimony
