Mb. Kovera et al., DO CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE EXPERTS HOLD PRO-CHILD BELIEFS - A SURVEY OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR TRAUMATIC STRESS STUDIES, Journal of traumatic stress, 6(3), 1993, pp. 383-404
As psychologists become increasingly involved in child sexual abuse ca
ses, professional concerns have been expressed about their partisan or
ientation as child advocates. A survey was administered to examine the
beliefs about child sexual abuse and children's capabilities as witne
sses held by a sample (N = 340) from the International Society for Tra
umatic Stress Studies (ISTSS). Multivariate analyses of variance sugge
st that female ISTSS members generally have stronger beliefs in the cr
edibility of child witnesses than male members. Additionally, ISTSS me
mbers who work with victims of sexual assault generally have stronger
beliefs in the credibility of children than members who work with vete
rans or other sufferers of traumatic stress reactions. Moreover, ISTSS
members from southern geographical regions are less likely than respo
ndents from other regions to endorse items in a manner that has favora
ble implications for a child witness. Beliefs of ISTSS respondents do
not differ as a function of their educational background. Implications
for the role of child sexual abuse experts in the legal system are di
scussed.