NCJ Number
155565
Journal
Child Abuse and Neglect Volume: 19 Issue: 6 Dated: (June 1995) Pages: 739- 744
Date Published
1995
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Using mock interviews with interviewers experienced in the disclosure of child sexual abuse in the United Kingdom, this study examined whether 3-year-olds could be persuaded to confirm that a stranger who was labeled as "daddy" was their own father.
Abstract
The research was prompted by recognition that British Courts in cases of child sexual abuse commonly dismiss the testimony of 3-year-olds and even 4-year-olds on the grounds that these children may not be reliably identifying their father or stepfather as the perpetrator. The mock interviews involved 17 children from blue-collar families. Five of the children misidentified a photograph of their own father when an identification question was repeated. Rather than undermining the validity of all preschoolers' testimony, the findings suggest that the responses of some children to apparently mundane questions of fact are influenced by contextual factors, including the repetition of the question and the perceived omniscience of the interviewer. Table and 21 references (Author abstract modified)