When the judiciary disbelieves the victim: Stereotypes and their influence on assessments of the credibility of victims of sexual abuse – a case study

Abstract

This paper addresses the psychological assessment of victims and the credibility of their statements in cases of child sexual abuse. With reference to the presence of manifestations of stress and to how victims behave when giving a statement, it discusses issues associated with assessment in such cases. It then considers existing inventories of possible physical and psychological consequences of sexual abuse and the frequency of PTSD symptoms among victims, before examining how these manifestations are modified by the context of the abuse, the characteristics of the offender, the characteristics of the victim, and how those in the victims’ life contexts react to disclosure of the abuse. Finally, the paper presents a case study illustrating these issues.