NCJ Number
96991
Journal
Journal of Social Issues Volume: 40 Issue: 2 Dated: (1984) Pages: 139-156
Date Published
1984
Length
18 pages
Annotation
Adults often do not know when to believe children. There are few places where this uncertainty is more consequential than in a court of law where jurors may be forced to base their verdict largely on the testimony of children.
Abstract
Legal and cultural sterotypes undermine children's credibility as witnesses by portraying them as basically honest but highly manipulable, unable to differentiate fantasy from reality, and lacking in cognitive sophistication. In this article, we review juror, witness, and courtroom factors that influence a child's credibility. We also present the results of our own studies on reactions to child witnesses. (Publisher abstract)