Juror Common Understanding and the Admissibility of Rape Trauma Syndrome Evidence in Court

• NCJ Number: 112244
• Journal: Law and Human Behavior Volume: 12 Issue: 2 Dated: (June 1988) Pages: 101-122
• Author(s): P Frazier; E Borgida
• Date Published: 1988
• Length: 22 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Portions of this article were presented at the American Psychological Association Convention, Washington, DC, August 1986.

Annotation

Experts on rape and posttraumatic stress disorder were compared with two nonexpert groups in terms of their knowledge of the rape trauma syndrome to determine whether expert testimony on the rape trauma syndrome is helpful to jurors.

Abstract

The 21 experts in the study had each conducted at least 2 empirical studies on rape. The nonexperts consisted of 87 undergraduates and 55 nonacademic employees of the University of Minnesota. The subjects completed a Sexual Assault Questionnaire containing 18 questions based on current rape research. Results indicated that the nonexperts were not well informed on many rape-related issues and were significantly less knowledgeable than the experts. The data also showed considerable consensus among the experts about the current scientific data base on rape trauma. Findings indicated that expert testimony on rape trauma could be helpful in educating jurors about rape and rape victim behavior. Tables and 126 references.