The perception of elder sexual abuse in the courtroom.
This study explored mock juror perceptions of elder sexual mistreatment (ESM). In Experiment 1, 118 participants read a fictional criminal trial summary of an ESM case in which a 76-year-old woman was allegedly abused by either her son or a neighbor. In Experiment 2 (n = 360), the ESM occurred in either a nursing home or the elder's home and the alleged perpetrator was either her son or a nursing home worker. Conviction rates were relatively low in both experiments (25% and 33%, respectively). Women were more pro-prosecution than men in case judgments. Overall, the study provides evidence that mock jurors may question the credibility of elders in ESM cases.
Hodell
Emily C
EC
Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.
Golding
Jonathan M
JM
Yozwiak
John A
JA
Bradshaw
Gregory S
GS
Kinstle
Terri L
TL
Marsil
Dorothy F
DF
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001290:Attitude; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D003416:Criminal Law; D004552:Elder Abuse / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D012938:Social Perception; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires