Citation

Regan PC, Baker SJ. J. Fam. Violence 1998; 13(2): 187-195.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1998, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1023/A:1022845724226

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

We examined how child witness demeanor at the moment of courtroom confrontation with the defendant affects trial outcome and the perceived credibility of the child witness in sexual abuse cases. Phase 1 (descriptive) utilized a free response format to explore the affective and behavioral responses men and women expect a child victim of sexual assault to demonstrate upon first confronting the defendant in the courtroom. The most frequently cited responses included crying, fear, and confusion. Phase 2 (experimental) investigated the impact of presence or absence of one of these expected responses (i.e., crying) upon juror perceptions. Participants who read about a child who cries upon initially confronting the defendant perceived her as more honest, credible, and reliable than a calm child, and they were more likely to convict the defendant.