Beliefs About Young Children as Witnesses: a Survey of Experienced Defense Lawyers and Psychological Expert Witnesses in Norway

Abstract

Defense lawyers (n = 51) and psychologists (n = 49) with experience in court cases involving child witnesses were surveyed on their beliefs about young child witnesses, defined as children in the age range of 3-6 years. The survey included 13 questions probing the reliability of testimony of young child witnesses and eight questions regarding factors influencing professional judgments of young child witnesses' credibility. Results indicated that both professional groups had fairly balanced opinions of child witnesses, with their opinions in general agreement with current research literature, although defense lawyers were somewhat more skeptical than psychologists were. However, considerable intra-sample variation existed on most items, with a minority of participants expressing opinions that were somewhat at odds with current child witness research. Results are discussed in the context of child maltreatment, the rule of law, and children's rights to safety and security.

Knowledge about eyewitness testimony: a survey of Indonesian police officers and psychologists

“…Finally, we observed that very few of the respondents (7% in the police group; 13% in the psychologists group) accurately disagreed with the statement that compared to adults a child witness being interviewed is more likely to provide true accounts of an event. This item was judged as less straightforward by Kostopoulos et al (2019) as the scientific consensus is less clear. In research on forensic interviewing of children, it is a well-documented result that if a child is interviewed properly according to recommended practice, the child will generally report past experiences correctly.…”

“…The second section consisted of 12 items assessing knowledge and beliefs about children as eyewitnesses (numbered 13-24). All items were also used by Kostopoulos et al (2019). Five items (no.…”

“…Another five items (no. 19, 20, 21, 22, 24) were about child reliability issues that were judged as less straightforward according to current scientific knowledge (Kostopoulos et al, 2019). Finally, two items (no.…”

“…They reported that police officers expressed greater belief in children being able to be good witnesses whereas psychologists were more skeptical, especially regarding younger children. Interestingly, a recent study showed that, on the topic of children as eyewitnesses, defense lawyers were more skeptical than psychologists (Kostopoulos et al, 2019).…”

Child Witness Research and Children’s Rights

“…This research suggests that to be heard and taken seriously, children must not only deliver convincing and accurate testimony, but also display facial expressions and exude emotion cues in accordance with professionals' opinions. The study in this special issue by Kostopoulos et al (2019) examined two categories of Norwegian professionals' (defense attorneys' and clinical psychologists') beliefs about children as witnesses. Although most defense attorneys and clinical psychologists agreed with current research about children as witnesses, many of them indicated that they were unsure about their opinions, suggesting that their opinions of the reliability of children's testimony may be swayed by other factors in the case.…”