Child Testimony Must Sometimes Be Doubted (From Child Abuse: Opposing Viewpoints, P 186-194, 1994, David Bender and Bruno Leone, eds. -- See NCJ-159823)

• NCJ Number: 159845
• Author(s): G S Goodman; A Clarke-Stewart
• Date Published: 1994
• Length: 9 pages
• Sale Source: Greenhaven Press
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Opposing Viewpoints Series

Annotation

Although children may fail to disclose information if they are not asked specific leading questions, suggestive questions can manipulate almost all young children into accepting the interviewer's interpretation of ambiguous events and children may be led to make false abuse accusations.

Abstract

Studies exploring the issue of children's suggestibility in relation to sexual abuse cases indicate that obtaining accurate testimony about sexual abuse from young children is a complex task. Part of the complexity is based on dangers and benefits associated with the use of leading questions with children. Benefits appear to be that leading questions are often necessary to elicit information from children about actual events, whereas dangers relate to the addition of erroneous information by children to their accounts of what has occurred. Some children also commit errors in reporting details of what they have seen. Even children who report facts accurately can be swayed in their overall interpretation of events. In generalizing study findings to child abuse investigations, the authors conclude that young children may be led to mislabel or misinterpret acts and to confuse abusive and nonabusive events.