Jeopardy in the Courtroom: A Scientific Analysis of Children's Testimony

Front Cover
American Psychological Association, Jan 1, 1995 - Child sexual abuse - 336 pages
The credibility of children's testimony is a highly debated topic in America's courtrooms, universities, and living rooms. Does the ingenuousness of children assure that their testimony will always be truthful? Or are children easily misled by overzealous investigators and therapists into making untrue allegations? Stephen J. Ceci and Maggie Bruck contend that the truth falls somewhere between these extremes. Using case studies ranging from the Salem Witch Hunt to the Little Rascals Day Care case to illustrate their argument, Jeopardy in the Courtroom draws from the vast corpus of scientific research to clarify what is most relevant for evaluating and understanding children's statements made in the legal arena.

About the author (1995)

Stephen J. Ceci holds a lifetime endowed chair in child development at Cornell University. He studies the accuracy of children's courtroom testimony, as well as the development of intelligence and memory. His previous books include "On Intelligence: A Bio-Ecological Treatise" (1996).


Wendy M. Williams is an Associate Professor in the Department of Human Development at Cornell University, where she studies children's learning, development and creativity, adult problem solving, and practical intelligence. her previous books include "The Reluctant Reader" (1996).

Bibliographic information