G. Niebergall et al., CREDIBILITY AND OTHER PSYCHOLOGICAL-PROBL EMS ASSOCIATED WITH YOUNG-CHILDREN AS EYEWITNESSES TO VIOLENT CRIMES - A CASE-STUDY, Zeitschrift für Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie, 23(1), 1995, pp. 44-55
Credibility and other psychological problems associated with young chi
ldren as eyewitness to violent crimes: A case study. A pair of 3 1/2-y
ear-old twins who had possibly witnessed their mother's murder were ex
amined by a child psychiatrist and a child psychologist as part of a j
udicial inquiry. The procedure developed specifically for this purpose
, the actual course of the investigation and the evaluation of the fin
dings with regard to psychological aspects of evidence are discussed.
The theoretical part of the study deals with the current state of know
ledge and the problems relating to evidence given by young children as
witnesses. The main emphasis is on general and specific credibility,
identification of people associated with the crime, suggestibility and
probabilities related to guessing, perceptual and memory performance,
and minimization of emotional sequelae in children who are witnesses
to violent crimes. The authors conclude that preschool children can be
reliable witnesses in preliminary hearings and court proceedings.