Jeopardy in the Courtroom: A Scientific Analysis of Children's Testimony

by Stephen J. Ceci

The credibility of children's testimony is a highly debated topic in America's courtrooms, universities, and living rooms. Does the ingenuousness of children assure that their testimony will always be truthful? Or are children easily misled by overzealous investigators and therapists into making untrue allegations? Stephen J. Ceci and Maggie Bruck contend that the truth falls somewhere between these extremes. Using case studies ranging from the Salem Witch Hunt to the Little Rascals Day Care case to illustrate their argument, Jeopardy in the Courtroom draws from the vast corpus of scientific research to clarify what is most relevant for evaluating and understanding children's statements made in the legal arena.

Genres: Psychology, Law

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Suzann · Rating 3 out of 5]

This turned out to be a textbook, but I found it surprisingly accessible to a layperson.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started reading this book more for the legal aspect of children's testimony in court. While someone interested in child psychology would probably find it fascinating, I found it too dry for my tastes. However, I did learn a lot about the issues with children's testimony in the 80s-90s daycare abuse cases.

[laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

so far, a very cogent discussion of HOW to talk to kids and how to understand what they're telling you, especially in the context of legal questioning.

[Kimi Evans]

Awesome book with extensive research in how children are manipulated in the courtroom and how to avoid it.