Measurement of Victim Credibility in Child Sexual Assault Cases: A Systematic Review

Abstract

While the concept of credibility seems like an intuitive one, research has indicated that there is no consistent definition of this construct and that credibility may, in fact, be multidimensional. This article is the first to review how the measurement of credibility in child sexual assault cases has been conducted, with the view to improve how credibility is psychometrically measured. Our findings indicate that the majority of experiments have been conducted in the United States (67%), have been based primarily on undergraduate students as participants (67%), and primarily investigated cases involving a male defendant and female victim (69%). Ultimately, among experiments investigating victim credibility, approximately 60% of all measures were based on a single item and 53% used materials not based on the testimony of the child. Moreover, credibility has been measured using a great variety of constructs such as believability, honesty, truthfulness, suggestibility, accuracy, and reliability. A more nuanced and consistent definition of credibility will be needed to facilitate meaningful applications of the research literature.

A meta-analysis of the emotional victim effect for female adult rape complainants: Does complainant distress influence credibility?

“…Few measures included items about the accuracy of the complainant’s testimony and no measures contained items about the reliability of the complainant’s evidence. This matches a recent review of credibility measures for child sexual abuse complainants, which found that items about accuracy and reliability were rarely used (Voogt, Klettke, & Crossman, 2016). This omission is problematic as jurors are typically directed to consider the complainant’s reliability related to credibility (e.g., in Australia and Canada; McKimmie et al, 2014; Porter & ten Brinke, 2009; White v R , 1947).…”

Audience Responses to Media Portrayals of Professional Athletes and Intimate Partner Violence

“…Informed by past research (Savage et al, 2017; Voogt et al, 2019), perceptions of victim credibility were assessed using six items that asked participants how much they agreed or disagreed with the statements on a 7-point Likert type scale ranging from 1 ( Strongly Disagree ) to 7 ( Strongly Agree ). Sample items included: “The alleged victim was credible,” and “The alleged victim was believable.” All six items were summed and averaged to create an individual rating ( M = 4.83, SD = .93), where higher ratings were associated with perceptions of the victim being more credible.…”

“…Informed by past research (Savage et al, 2017;Voogt et al, 2019), perceptions of victim credibility were assessed using six items that asked participants how much they agreed or disagreed with the statements on a 7-point Likert type scale ranging from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 7 (Strongly Agree). Sample items included: "The alleged victim was credible," and "The alleged victim was believable."…”

Potential Reporters of Suspected Child Maltreatment are Sensitive to the Amount of Evidence and the Potential Consequences of Reporting

“…A potential reporter’s confidence in ability to assess if a formal report is warranted is also likely to be influenced by judgments of the child’s credibility, particularly in cases in which the child has verbally described abuse. Credibility evaluations are pervasive in children’s process through social services and justice systems: Often, the only evidence supporting a child’s claim of abuse is their statement (e.g., Voogt et al, 2019 ). Children’s credibility has been conceptualized as falling along two dimensions: honesty and cognitive competence ( Ross et al., 2003 ).…”