NCJ Number
133392
Date Published
Unknown
Length
169 pages
Annotation
A sample of 218 child sexual assault victims involved in criminal prosecutions in Denver, Colorado was studied to determine the emotional impact of testifying in criminal court proceedings. The sample was divided into a group of testifiers which was compared with a matched control group of nontestifiers at three points during testimony -- 3 months, 7 months, and after prosecution ended.
Abstract
The results indicated that testifiers exhibited greater behavioral disturbances at 7 months, particularly if they testified more than once, were deprived of maternal support, or lacked corroboration of their evidence. However, once prosecution ended, the negative effects of testifying appeared to diminish. In courthouse interviews before and after testifying, children said their greatest fear was facing their assailant. Children who were most frightened of the defendant were least able to answer prosecutors' questions and were more likely to attribute negative effects to their testimony. Age and abuse severity were the most pervasive predictors of children's experiences in the courtroom. The authors suggest some ways to reduce the stress on child witnesses: increasing the use of videotaped testimony, enhancing family support of child witnesses, reducing the number of times a child is called to testify, and eliminating the occurrence of confrontation between witness and defendant. 28 tables, 8 notes, and 61 references