An evaluation of the question types used by criminal justice professionals with complainants in child sexual assault trials (Record no. 7481)

MARC details
000 -LEADER
fixed length control field 04094nab a22003377a 4500
005 - DATE AND TIME OF LATEST TRANSACTION
control field 20250625151605.0
008 - FIXED-LENGTH DATA ELEMENTS--GENERAL INFORMATION
fixed length control field 220211s2022 ||||| |||| 00| 0 eng d
040 ## - CATALOGING SOURCE
Original cataloging agency AFVC
100 ## - MAIN ENTRY--PERSONAL NAME
Personal name Powell, Martine B.
9 (RLIN) 4568
245 ## - TITLE STATEMENT
Title An evaluation of the question types used by criminal justice professionals with complainants in child sexual assault trials
Statement of responsibility, etc Martine B. Powell, Jane Goodman-Delahunty, Sarah L. Deck, Madeleine Bearman and Nina Westera
260 ## - PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION, ETC. (IMPRINT)
Name of publisher, distributor, etc Sage,
Date of publication, distribution, etc 2022
500 ## - GENERAL NOTE
General note Journal of Criminology, 2022, 55(1): 106-124
520 ## - SUMMARY, ETC.
Summary, etc The way that complainants of child sexual assault are questioned about their experiences can profoundly influence the accuracy, credibility, and consistency of their evidence. This is the case for all people, but especially children whose language, social, and cognitive capacity is still developing. In this study, we examined the questions used by a representative sample of Australian prosecutors, defense lawyers, and judges/magistrates to determine if this is an area that warrants improvement. Our focus was the type of questions used by the different professionals and how (if at all) these varied across complainant age groups (children, adolescents, and adults, total N = 63). Our findings revealed that each complainant group was questioned in a manner known to heighten misunderstanding and error (e.g., complex and leading questions were used frequently by all professional groups). There was also little indication of question adaption according to age (e.g., prosecutors asked children more complex questions than they asked adults). When the results are considered in the context of the broader literature on the impact of different question styles, they suggest that professional development in questioning would improve the quality of trial advocacy and judicial rulings. (Authors' abstract). Record #7481
526 ## - STUDY PROGRAM INFORMATION NOTE
Program name A key cross-examination tactic in trials of child sexual abuse (CSA) is to highlight inconsistencies between sources of information to discredit the complainant's account. The present study examined the prevalence, origin and nature of inconsistencies arising in the cross-examination of complainants in CSA trials. Further, we examined the association between these inconsistencies and the types of question that elicited them in the earlier police interview of the child witness (i.e. open-ended, specific, or leading). Transcripts of videorecorded interviews (evidence-in-chief) of 73 complainants (15 males, 58 females) and subsequent cross-examinations at trial were coded. Results showed that inconsistencies were raised in the cross-examination of 94.5% of complainants; most between what the children said in their police interview versus their cross-examination. A greater proportion of inconsistencies was associated with specific than open-ended questions asked in the police interview. However, open-ended questions were associated with some inconsistencies, perhaps due to the longer answers they elicited. Shorter police interviews relying mainly on open-ended questions may minimise the opportunity for inconsistencies to arise in cross-examinations. Judges and juries require education about inconsistencies that arise from memory's reconstructive nature and lay people's tendency to use these inconsistencies to make inferences about the unreliability of witnesses. (Authors' abstract). Record #6795
650 ## - SUBJECT ADDED ENTRY--TOPICAL TERM
Topical term or geographic name as entry element CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE
9 (RLIN) 121
650 ## - SUBJECT ADDED ENTRY--TOPICAL TERM
Topical term or geographic name as entry element CRIMINAL JUSTICE
9 (RLIN) 167
650 ## - SUBJECT ADDED ENTRY--TOPICAL TERM
Topical term or geographic name as entry element EVIDENCE
9 (RLIN) 237
650 #0 - SUBJECT ADDED ENTRY--TOPICAL TERM
Topical term or geographic name as entry element LEGAL PROFESSION
9 (RLIN) 8151
650 #4 - SUBJECT ADDED ENTRY--TOPICAL TERM
9 (RLIN) 445
Topical term or geographic name as entry element POLICE PROCEDURES
650 #0 - SUBJECT ADDED ENTRY--TOPICAL TERM
Topical term or geographic name as entry element VICTIMS OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE
9 (RLIN) 6716
651 ## - SUBJECT ADDED ENTRY--GEOGRAPHIC NAME
Geographic name INTERNATIONAL
9 (RLIN) 3624
651 #4 - SUBJECT ADDED ENTRY--GEOGRAPHIC NAME
Geographic name AUSTRALIA
9 (RLIN) 2597
700 ## - ADDED ENTRY--PERSONAL NAME
Personal name Goodman-Delahunty, Jane
9 (RLIN) 3818
700 ## - ADDED ENTRY--PERSONAL NAME
Personal name Deck, Sarah L.
9 (RLIN) 10672
700 ## - ADDED ENTRY--PERSONAL NAME
Personal name Bearman, Madeleine
9 (RLIN) 10673
700 ## - ADDED ENTRY--PERSONAL NAME
Personal name Westera, Nina
9 (RLIN) 9339
773 0# - HOST ITEM ENTRY
Title Journal of Criminology, 2022, 55(1): 106-124
830 ## - SERIES ADDED ENTRY--UNIFORM TITLE
Uniform title Journal of Criminology
9 (RLIN) 9949
856 ## - ELECTRONIC LOCATION AND ACCESS
Uniform Resource Identifier <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/26338076211068182">https://doi.org/10.1177/26338076211068182</a>
Link text DOI: 10.1177/26338076211068182
942 ## - ADDED ENTRY ELEMENTS (KOHA)
Source of classification or shelving scheme Dewey Decimal Classification
Koha item type Journal article

No items available.