Describing Coercion in the Courtroom: The Influence of Language and Maltreatment Severity on Jurors' Perceptions of Child Witnesses.

IF 4.5 2区 社会学 Q1 FAMILY STUDIES Child Maltreatment Pub Date : 2024-11-01 Epub Date: 2023-10-25 DOI:10.1177/10775595231210015
Breanne E Wylie, Stacia N Stolzenberg, Angela D Evans
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Abstract

Regardless of compliance to coercion by an alleged perpetrator, child maltreatment is abuse in any form. However, the extent to which coercion is described as an obligation (mandatory compliance) or permission (optional compliance) is legally relevant. The present investigation examined how attorneys question children about coercion and how children describe coercion in courtroom investigations of alleged child sexual abuse, and whether such language influences jurors' perceptions of children's testimony. Study 1 assessed 64 transcripts of children's testimonies and revealed that both attorneys and children use coercive language. Problematically, terms of permission were used when describing sexual abuse, potentially implying compliance was optional. Study 2 presented 160 adults with transcript excerpts, varied by coercive language (obligation or permission) and maltreatment type (sexual abuse or punishment). Coercive language influenced perceptions of coercion and whether the adult was to blame. Maltreatment type influenced perceptions of severity, credibility, and verdict. Overall, coercive language and maltreatment type influence perceptions of how the event unfolded.

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描述法庭上的胁迫:语言和虐待严重程度对陪审员对儿童证人认知的影响。
无论被指控的施暴者是否遵守胁迫,虐待儿童都是任何形式的虐待。然而,胁迫在多大程度上被描述为义务(强制遵守)或许可(可选遵守)在法律上是相关的。本调查调查了律师如何询问儿童关于胁迫的问题,以及儿童在法庭调查涉嫌儿童性虐待时如何描述胁迫,以及这种语言是否影响陪审员对儿童证词的看法。研究1评估了64份儿童证词的笔录,发现律师和儿童都使用胁迫性语言。有问题的是,在描述性虐待时使用了许可条款,这可能意味着遵守是可选的。研究2向160名成年人提供了成绩单摘录,这些摘录因胁迫性语言(义务或许可)和虐待类型(性虐待或惩罚)而异。胁迫性语言影响了人们对胁迫的看法以及成年人是否应该受到谴责。虐待类型影响了对严重性、可信度和判决的认知。总的来说,胁迫性语言和虐待类型会影响人们对事件如何展开的看法。
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来源期刊
Child Maltreatment
Child Maltreatment Multiple-
CiteScore
6.80
自引率
7.80%
发文量
66
期刊介绍: Child Maltreatment is the official journal of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC), the nation"s largest interdisciplinary child maltreatment professional organization. Child Maltreatment"s object is to foster professional excellence in the field of child abuse and neglect by reporting current and at-issue scientific information and technical innovations in a form immediately useful to practitioners and researchers from mental health, child protection, law, law enforcement, medicine, nursing, and allied disciplines. Child Maltreatment emphasizes perspectives with a rigorous scientific base that are relevant to policy, practice, and research.
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