title: The perception of elder sexual abuse in the courtroom.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.
authors.forename: Emily C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Hodell
authors.forename: Jonathan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Golding
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Yozwiak
authors.forename: Gregory S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Bradshaw
authors.forename: Terri L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Kinstle
authors.forename: Dorothy F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Marsil
mesh_terms: 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