NCJ Number
96984
Journal
Journal of Social Issues Volume: 40 Issue: 2 Dated: (1984) Pages: complete issue
Editor(s)
G S Goodman
Date Published
1984
Length
187 pages
Annotation
Ten articles examine the position of children as witnesses in courts, with emphasis on recent research findings regarding children's memory, on the credibility of children to jurors and courts, and on the emotional impacts of being a witness to a crime and a participant in the subsequent legal proceedings.
Abstract
Common beliefs about children's inability to recall events as accurately as adults are discussed, with emphasis on recent research showing that in many areas of memory, children are able to recall as accurately as adults. Face recognition by children and adults is discussed, with emphasis on the importance of task and stimulus factors that interact with developmental and other personal characteristics of the subject. The credibility of child witnesses to jurors and the importance of corroborating testimony or evidence are examined. The need for modifications of the present legal system to be more responsive to the needs of children is considered in the context of a U.S. Supreme Court decision indicating that broad procedural reforms are unlikely to pass constitutional scrutiny. Changes in the procedures for handling the child victims of sexual abuse who testify in court are recommended and explained. Future research is recommended in three areas: factors which affect children's ability to provide accurate testimony, the treatment of the emotional needs of child witnesses, and children's credibility as witnesses in the view of jurors and the courts. Tables and chapter reference lists are provided.