Nonabused Children Essay

Abused children often have trouble having their allegations collaborated as legal and social service investigations of abuse allegations contribute to inaccurate eyewitness accounts and false memories that make it difficult for the legal system to protect these vulnerable children (Goodman, et al., 2001). Clinicians find it hard to classify abused from nonabused children due to a lack of a psychological profile for abused children (Kendall-Tackett, Williams, & Finkelhor, 1993). When there are no other witnesses to corroborate children’s accounts, investigators often employ suggestive interviewing techniques that sometimes shape children’s false memories that build the investigators’ reports (Krackow & Lynn, 2003). Some research has found that nonabused children

There is a lack of generalizability of many of the studies across all spectrums of children, particularly in regards to socioeconomic backgrounds that also play a factor in developmental delays outside of abuse (Krackow & Lynn, 2003). Child witness research has lacked studies on the strengths and weaknesses of abused children while instead focusing on nonabused children who may create false allegations (Eisen, et al., 1998). While this research may provide insight into how nonabused children may present false memories upon interrogation, it does not further information on how abused children respond under interrogation and how best to assist them in the legal process to protect them. Current research is often conflicting on whether or not abused children are more or less likely to confuse nonabusive events with abusive ones and abused children to have a higher rate of accepting abuse-related suggestions that lead to false memories (Pezdek & Roe, 1994,