Am J Psychiatry 1987; 144:476-480
Copyright © 1987 by American Psychiatric Association
Should young children testify in cases of sexual abuse?
A Yates
Children as young as age 3 are testifying in cases of sexual abuse and
molestation. Very young children can accurately recall emotionally charged,
personally significant events. They demonstrate more errors of omission,
difficulties with time and number of concepts, and occasional
misinterpretations of others' actions. Children's testimony can be
influenced by an overly authoritative or ingratiating attorney stance, an
attorney's preconceived notions, age-inappropriate questions, and the
child's limited attention span. Children may be helped or harmed by
testifying. The risk of further traumatization can be minimized through the
judge's use of discretionary power, inclusion of professionals trained in
child development in the investigative and court process, and use of
videotaping or one-way screens.
