Semester
Spring
Date of Graduation
2022
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Type
MS
College
Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Psychology
Committee Chair
Elisa Krackow
Committee Co-Chair
Amy Fiske
Committee Member
Amy Fiske
Committee Member
Elizabeth Levelle
Abstract
The process of child disclosure of sexual abuse can be complex. Children often disclose abuse consistently across settings (continuous disclosure), though there is research to support that children may deny abuse or recant their allegations despite the abuse having truly occurred (London et al., 2008; Bradley & Wood, 1996; Malloy, Lyon, & Quas, 2007). In this study, data was collected from voluntary MTurk users (N = 688). Mock jurors responded to a survey assessing perceptions of child credibility, defendant guilt, and child susceptibility to external influence in response to each CSA disclosure pattern (continuous disclosure, denial, recantation). Additionally, expert witness testimony regarding typical child disclosure processes (present or absent) and child age (4- or 8-years-old) acted as independent variables. A number of significant results emerged with respect to disclosure patterns and expert witness presence. Forensic implications and future directions are discussed.
Recommended Citation
Elias, Hannah, "Jurors' Perceptions of Child Sexual Abuse Disclosure Patterns" (2022). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 11178.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/11178