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.