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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Do Prosecutors Use Interview Instructions Of Build Rapport With Child Witnesses?, Elizabeth C. Ahern, Stacia N. Stolzenberg, Thomas D. Lyon
Do Prosecutors Use Interview Instructions Of Build Rapport With Child Witnesses?, Elizabeth C. Ahern, Stacia N. Stolzenberg, Thomas D. Lyon
Thomas D. Lyon
This study examined the quality of interview instructions and rapport-building provided by prosecutors to 168 children aged 5–12 years testifying in child sexual abuse cases, preceding explicit questions about abuse allegations. Prosecutors failed to effectively administer key interview instructions, build rapport, or rely on open-ended narrative producing prompts during this early stage of questioning. Moreover, prosecutors often directed children's attention to the defendant early in the testimony. The productivity of different types of wh- questions varied, with what/how questions focusing on actions being particularly productive. The lack of instructions, poor quality rapport-building, and closed-ended questioning suggest that children may not …
Evidence Summarized In Attorney’S Closing Arguments Predicts Acquittals In Criminal Trials Of Child Sexual Abuse, Stacia N. Stolzenberg, Thomas D. Lyon
Evidence Summarized In Attorney’S Closing Arguments Predicts Acquittals In Criminal Trials Of Child Sexual Abuse, Stacia N. Stolzenberg, Thomas D. Lyon
Thomas D. Lyon
Evidence summarized in attorney’s closing arguments of criminal child sexual abuse cases (N = 189) was coded to predict acquittal rates. Ten variables were significant bivariate predictors; five variables significant at p < .01 were entered into a multivariate model. Cases were likely to result in an acquittal when the defendant was not charged with force, the child maintained contact with the defendant after the abuse occurred, the defense presented a hearsay witness regarding the victim’s statements, a witness regarding the victim’s character, or a witness regarding another witnesses’ character (usually the mother). The findings suggest that jurors might believe that …
How Attorneys Question Children About The Dynamics Of Sexual Abuse And Disclosure In Criminal Trials., Stacia N. Stolzenberg, Thomas D. Lyon
How Attorneys Question Children About The Dynamics Of Sexual Abuse And Disclosure In Criminal Trials., Stacia N. Stolzenberg, Thomas D. Lyon
Thomas D. Lyon
Little is known about how the dynamics of sexual abuse and disclosure are discussed in criminal court. We examined how attorneys ask child witnesses in sexual abuse cases (N = 72, 6–16 years of age) about their prior conversations, both with suspects and with disclosure recipients. Prosecutors’ questions were more open-ended than defense attorneys, but most questions asked by either attorney were yes/no questions, and children tended to provide unelaborated responses. Prosecutors were more inclined to ask about children’s prior conversations with suspects than defense attorneys, but focused on the immediate abuse rather than on grooming behavior or attempts to …
Children's Memory For Conversations About Sexual Abuse: Legal And Psychological Implications, Thomas D. Lyon, Stacia N. Stolzenberg
Children's Memory For Conversations About Sexual Abuse: Legal And Psychological Implications, Thomas D. Lyon, Stacia N. Stolzenberg
Thomas D. Lyon
No abstract provided.
Young Children’S Difficulty With Indirect Speech Acts: Implications For Questioning Child Witnesses, Angela D. Evans, Stacia Stolzenberg, Kang Lee, Thomas D. Lyon
Young Children’S Difficulty With Indirect Speech Acts: Implications For Questioning Child Witnesses, Angela D. Evans, Stacia Stolzenberg, Kang Lee, Thomas D. Lyon
Thomas D. Lyon
Prior research suggests that infelicitous choice of questions can significantly underestimate children’s actual abilities, independently of suggestiveness. One possibly difficult question type is indirect speech acts such as “Do you know…” questions (DYK, e.g., “Do you know where it happened?”). These questions directly ask if respondents know, while indirectly asking what respondents know. If respondents answer “yes,” but fail to elaborate, they are either ignoring or failing to recognize the indirect question (known as pragmatic failure). Two studies examined the effect of indirect speech acts on maltreated and non-maltreated 2- to 7-year-olds’ post-event interview responses. Children were read a story …