TY - JOUR
AU1 - Haugaard, Jeffrey J.
AB - Within the past decade, several state governments and the federal government have amended their rules of evidence regarding the judicial determination of young children’s competency to testify in criminal trials. This has been done primarily to increase the number of young children eligible to testify in child sexual abuse trials. Whereas young children were once presumed to be incompetent to testify, they are presumed competent under the new rules. Two propositions have been offered by those favoring this change: (a) Social science evidence indicates that young children are as competent as adults to testify, and (b) convictions of molesters will be increased by the elimination of the judicial determination of young children’s competency. The evidence on which these propositions are based is examined, and neither is found to be adequately supported by research findings. Directions for future research are suggested.
TI - Judicial Determination of Children’s Competency to Testify: Should It Be Abandoned?
JF - Professional Psychology: Research and Practice
DO - 10.1037/0735-7028.19.1.102
DA - 1988-02-01
UR - https://www.deepdyve.com/lp/american-psychological-association/judicial-determination-of-children-s-competency-to-testify-should-it-Y0LUEzP60m
SP - 102
EP - 107
VL - 19
IS - 1
DP - DeepDyve
ER -