Greater Knowledge Enhances Complainant Credibility and Increases Jury Convictions for Child Sexual Assault.

Child sexual assault (CSA) cases reliant on uncorroborated testimony yield low conviction rates. Past research demonstrated a strong relationship between verdict and juror CSA knowledge such as typical delays in reporting by victims, and perceived victim credibility. This trial simulation experiment examined the effectiveness of interventions by an expert witness or an educative judicial direction in reducing jurors' CSA misconceptions.

The Cycle of Abuse: When Victims Become Offenders.

Various psychological theories exist in the literature to explain the behavior of men who commit child sex offences, including the belief that child sexual abuse (CSA) is a predisposing factor for the transition from victim to offender. These theories are, however, unable to explain the fact that while most victims of CSA are female, most perpetrators of CSA are male. The sex specificity of CSA in terms of victims and offenders suggests that the experience of CSA and its psychosocial effects may be different for boys, compared to girls.

The role of photographic and video documentation in the investigation and prosecution of child sexual assault.

Despite its widespread acceptance by medical investigators, the use of colposcopy to document ano-genital examinations after sexual assault allegations has attracted controversy. Concerns have been expressed about potentially negative effects arising from the misuse of photo-documentation with some arguing that colposcopic photo-documentation should not occur. We discuss the extent to which these concerns, so far as they relate to the medical examination of children and young people, are supported by the research evidence.