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Expert witnesses in child abuse cases
Author(s) -
Sagatun Inger J.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
behavioral sciences and the law
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.649
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1099-0798
pISSN - 0735-3936
DOI - 10.1002/bsl.2370090209
Subject(s) - expert witness , credibility , child sexual abuse , sexual abuse , scope (computer science) , child abuse , poison control , suicide prevention , psychology , witness , psychiatry , medicine , criminology , law , medical emergency , political science , computer science , programming language
This article discusses the need for expert testimony and the criteria for admissibility of such testimony in child abuse cases. It addresses the scope of expert testimony in both physical and sexual abuse cases with respect to (a) descriptive and diagnostic issues, (b) witness credibility issues, and (c) legal issues. In particular, the article focuses on the admissibility of expert testimony on the battered child syndrome, the child sexual abuse accommodation syndrome, and observations of behavior with anatomically correct dolls. The article concludes that medical expert testimony is more admissible in court than mental health expert testimony.