NCJ Number
236236
Journal
Child Abuse & Neglect Volume: 35 Issue: 8 Dated: August 2011 Pages: 613-620
Date Published
August 2011
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This study investigated whether criteria-based content analysis was effective in determining the reliability of child witnesses in child sexual abuse cases.
Abstract
The study found that for child witnesses of both sexes, criteria-based content analysis (CBCA) scores were higher for confirmed cases of child sexual abuse than for unconfirmed cases. Of the 14 CBCA criteria, 9 were frequently satisfied in the confirmed cases of abuse. In addition, the study found that for both sexes, CBCA scores increased with age, with at least 7 of the 14 criteria increasing in frequency as the age of the child witnesses increased. This study investigated whether criteria-based content analysis (CBCA) was effective in determining the reliability of child witnesses in child sexual abuse cases. Data for the study were obtained from a sample of 60 confirmed cases of child sexual abuse and 49 unconfirmed cases of child sexual abuse. The cases involved 109 child witnesses aged 4-14 years old. The 14 criteria of the CBCA were applied to the testimony of the child witnesses by 2 experts. Analysis of the cases indicates that 9 of the 14 criteria of the CBCA are more likely to indicate confirmed cases of child sexual abuse, and that the CBCA should be used by experts in determining cases of child sexual abuse. Implications for future research are discussed. Tables and references