RSS Feeds

Earth Science

Space Science

Life Science

Fields of Scientific Study

Nanotechnology

Cancer

Definitions of The Fields of Scientific Study

Younger children more susceptible witnesses

December 19, 2002

The autobiographical experiences of younger children are more susceptible to the influence of adults than are those of older children. This can mean that children remain silent about all or parts of an experience, or submit incorrect information in response to leading questions. This is shown in studies of children’s testimony in a dissertation submitted today at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden.

“We demonstrate that, for various reasons, children can find it difficult to remember, but also that they can choose not to tell about traumatic abuse. One of the studies in the dissertation shows that these phenomena exist,” says Rickard Sjöberg, who today defended his thesis at Karolinska Institutet.

In this study Rickard Sjöberg examined testimony from a court case involving sexual crime. The perpetrator had recorded his abuse on videotape, and ten child victims were interrogated by the police. The results show that the children tend to significantly play down the abuse they were exposed to as having been less serious than it actually was. Half of the children said that they had not been exposed to any abuse whatsoever.

Younger children more susceptible
Rickard Sjöberg was also interested in what factors can make it more difficult for a child to tell about abuse or a crime he/she was the victim of. In another study based on 47 convictions for sexual crimes in which the perpetrator confessed to the crime, Rickard Sjöberg demonstrated that reporting the crime was delayed more the younger the child was when the abuse took place and the closer the perpetrator was to the victim.

The dissertation also contains two studies based on testimony from a witch trial in R'�ttvik (Dalecarlia) in the 1600s. A vicar interviewed 588 children who were suspected of having been kidnapped by a sect and spirited off to a Satanist meeting. The results indicated that the younger the children were, the greater was the probability that they would admit that they had had that improbable experience. But Rickard Sjöberg doesn’t think courts should avoid using young children as witnesses. Quite the contrary.

“Other studies have shown that even preschool children can be good witnesses if they are questioned in the proper manner. But it is important to remember that they are more susceptible to influence than are older children and adults,” says Rickard Sjöberg.

VetenskapsrÃ�det (The Swedish Research Council)

Science Research Departments

	Scientific Explorer's Mind Blowing Science Kit for Young Scientists by Scientific Explorer Mind blowing experiments to delight and educate young scientists! Erupt a color changing volcano. Mix up magic ooze with a mind of its own. Play with sand that never gets wet. Mix safe chemicals and watch colors change before your eyes. You'll amaze yourself and your friends as you explore the science behind these truly remarkable reactions.
	The Everything Kids' Science Experiments Book: Boil Ice, Float Water, Measure Gravity-Challenge the World Around You! (Everything Kids Series) by Tom Robinson (Author) Science has never been so easy - or so much fun! With The Everything Kids' Science Experiments Book, all you need to do is gather a few household items and you can recreate dozens of mind-blowing, kid-tested science experiments. High school science teach Tom Robinson shows you how to expand your scientific horizons - from biology to chemistry to physics to outer space. You'll discover answers to questions like: Is it possible to blow up a balloon without actually blowing into it? What is inside coins? Can a magnet ever be "turned off"? Do toilets always flush in the same direction? Can a swimming pool be cleaned with just the breath of one person? Get ready to enter the laboratory and learn how to conduct cool experiments, understand scientific terms...
	Scientific Explorer's Disgusting Science - A Kit for Studying the Science of Revolting Things by Scientific Explorer Grow your own friendly germs and fuzzy molds. Mix up a batch of coagulating fake blood. Even make a stinky intestine. learn the science behind unmentionable bodily functions while doing some truly NASTY Experiments. Ages 8+
	The Science Book: Everything You Need to Know About the World and How It Works (National Geographic) by National Geographic (Author), Marshall Brain (Foreword) A delight for the casual reader, yet so complete and wide-ranging that science buffs and students will welcome it, The Science Book encapsulates centuries of scientific thought in one richly illustrated volume. Natural phenomena, revolutionary inventions, and the most up-to-date investigations are explained in detailed text, and 2,000 vivid illustrationsincluding 3-D graphics and pictogramsmake the information even more accessible and amazing to discover. The Science Book offers both a general overview of topics for the browsing reader and more specific information for those seeking deeper insight into a particular subject. Six major sections, ranging from the universe and planet Earth to biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics, encompass everything from microscopic life...
	Scientific Explorer's The Magic Science Wizard's Kit by Scientific Explorer Cast real smoke from your fingertips, make a wizard wand, and whip up color-changing potions in your test tube laboratory. Also included are laminated cards with wizard facts, an instruction booklet with 11 activities, lab equipment, and mysterious wizard powders that will mix together to mystify you!
	Scientific Explorer's Tasty Science Chemistry in the Kitchen Kit by Scientific Explorer Who knew science could taste so good? With this kit, you’ll whip up cupcakes, cookies, candy, and more—all in the name of science! Learn what makes cakes rise, candy crystallize, and more real chemistry happen in the kitchen. Tasty Science is packed with ingredients, recipes, activity cards, a test tube laboratory, and lots more to explore the science of taste.
	The Complete Book of Science, Grades 5-6 by School Specialty Publishing (Author) The Complete Book of Science for grades 5 to 6 teaches children important science skills! Children complete a variety of exercises that help them develop a number of skills in this 352 page workbook. Including a complete answer key this workbook features a user-friendly format perfect for browsing, research, and review. Over 4 million in print! The best-selling Complete Book series offers a full complement of instruction, activities, and information about a single topic or subject area. Containing over 30 titles and encompassing preschool to grade 8 this series helps children succeed in every subject area! ...
	Magic School Bus Journey into the Human Body Science Kit by Young Scientist Club The Magic School Bus and Ms. Frizzle take Young Scientists on a wild ride into the human body with these breathtaking experiments. Young Scientists bend bones, make joints, map taste buds, expand lungs, build a stethoscope, measure lung capacities and heart rates, perform the iodine starch test, spin glitter, simulate synovial fluid, create a human body poster, and much, much more! This exciting kit includes a life-size poster with eight sheets of body part stickers. So put on your seat belts, students, and get ready to discover The Human Body!
	Scientific Explorer's Glow in the Dark Fun Lab Science Kit by Scientific Explorer You will love setting up your own Glow in the Dark Fun Lab. Create a light wand, make your own glow stick, and even generate a human-powered light.
	What Is the World Made Of? All About Solids, Liquids, and Gases (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science, Stage 2) by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld (Author), Paul Meisel (Author) Did you ever walk through a wall? Drink a glass of blocks? Have you ever played with a lemonade doll, or put on milk for socks? This latest addition to the Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series introduces the youngest readers to an important science concept: the differences between solids, liquids, and gases. Any child who wants to know why he can't walk through a wall will enjoy Kathleen Zoehfeld's simple text and Paul Meisel's playful illustrations.