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1 results

  • 19 - Decision-Making Regarding Child Victims and Witnesses

  • from Part II - Pretrial Phase Decision-Making
  • Edited by Monica K. Miller, University of Nevada, Reno, Logan A. Yelderman, Prairie View A & M University, Texas, Matthew T. Huss, Creighton University, Omaha, Jason A. Cantone, George Mason University, Virginia
  • Book:
    The Cambridge Handbook of Psychology and Legal Decision-Making
    Published online:
    22 February 2024
    Print publication:
    29 February 2024, pp 290-306

  • Summary

    Children are a critical part of certain legal trials, such as cases involving child abuse and neglect, and especially in cases of child sexual abuse. It is common for the only evidence in these types of cases to be the statement of the child victims. Children’s decisions about if and when to disclose the abuse are affected by many factors, and delays in disclosure are common. Police, forensic interviewers, prosecutors, and other professionals make decisions about when and how to interview children, the accuracy/credibility of their statements, if a case will move forward, and if and how children will testify in court. In some courtrooms, children are given special accommodations (e.g., testifying through closed-circuit TV or being accompanied by a therapy dog). Decisions about evaluating children in these situations have implications for the safety of children and the protection of innocent adults. Future research and policy implications are discussed.