Doctoral Dissertation Research: Maltreated and Nonmaltreated Children's Evaluations of the Consequences of Disclosing Negative Events

摘要对虐待儿童的起诉是一项特别具有挑战性的工作，部分原因是儿童通常不愿意透露虐待行为，而且很少有确凿的证据存在。受害者可能担心披露的负面后果，这可能导致不披露、延迟或不一致的报告——所有这些都会影响成功起诉的可能性。本研究的目的是促进对受虐待和未受虐待儿童对披露负面事件后果的认知的理解。研究结果将同时改善对儿童虐待案件的干预和起诉，并为理解弱势儿童的发展做出理论贡献。研究问题包括：(1)儿童对披露后果的认知是否存在年龄相关的变化和种族差异？(2)受虐待儿童和未受虐待儿童的认知是否存在差异？(3)加害人与被害人的关系如何影响儿童的评价？(4)儿童的认知是否因自责或照顾者对信息披露的反应而有所不同？为了回答这些问题，一个庞大的，种族多样化的4- 9岁儿童样本将参加目前的研究。儿童和家庭服务部认为，由于虐待，一半的儿童将被从家中带走。剩下的孩子将从与受虐儿童居住的社区相似的学校中招募。孩子们将会读到一个场景，描述一个孩子向他/她的母亲讲述一个成年人（父亲或陌生人）的错误行为。在一些小插曲中，孩子们会被问到母亲对故事人物的揭露会有什么反应。在其他小插曲中，孩子们将被告知母亲对故事人物的揭露是如何反应的，并被要求预测随后的后果和故事人物的感受。研究结果将广泛传播给科学和非科学受众。通过确定影响儿童对披露的后果的看法的因素，结果将提供对不披露和不一致报告的潜在原因的洞察。如果将这一见解传达给法官、陪审员和一线调查人员，在出现虐待指控时，将大大促进对正义的追求。此外，为了有效地进行干预，有必要考虑到儿童对他人反应的期望，以便纠正误解。结果将特别有利于涉及司法系统的弱势受害者，受虐待的儿童，他们不成比例地来自低收入少数民族背景，并有可能出现一系列后来的负面结果（例如，青少年犯罪）。

Primary Investigators: Jodi A. Quas and Lindsay MalloyTitle: Doctoral Dissertation Research: Maltreated and Non-Maltreated Children's Evaluations of the Consequences of Disclosing Negative Events0720421AbstractProsecution of child maltreatment is an especially challenging endeavor, in part because children are typically reluctant to reveal abuse and corroborating evidence rarely exists. Victims may fear negative consequences of disclosure, which may lead to nondisclosure, delays, or inconsistent reporting- all of which affect the likelihood of successful prosecution. The purpose of the proposed study is to advance understanding of maltreated and nonmaltreated children's perceptions of the consequences of disclosing negative events. Findings will concurrently improve intervention and prosecution of child maltreatment cases and make theoretical contributions to understanding development in vulnerable children. Research questions include: (1) Are there age-related changes and ethnic differences in children's perceptions of disclosure consequences?; (2) Do maltreated and nonmaltreated children's perceptions vary?; (3) How does the perpetrator's relationship to the victim affect children's evaluations?; and (4) Do children's perceptions vary as a function of self-blame or how the caregiver reacts to disclosure? To answer these questions, a large, ethnically diverse sample of 4- to 9-year-old children will take part in the current study. Half of the children will have been removed from their homes due to maltreatment deemed true by Department of Children and Family Services. The remaining children will be recruited from schools in neighborhoods similar to ones in which maltreated children reside. Children will be read scenarios that describe a child character telling his/her mother about the wrongdoing of an adult (either a father or stranger). In some vignettes, children will be asked about how the mother will react to the story character's disclosure. In other vignettes, children will be told how the mother reacts to the story character's disclosure and asked to predict the subsequent consequences and the story character's feelings. Findings will be widely disseminated to scientific and nonscientific audiences. By identifying factors that affect children's perceptions of the consequences of disclosure, results will provide insight into potential reasons for nondisclosure and inconsistent reporting. This insight, if conveyed to judges, jurors, and frontline investigators, will significantly advance the pursuit of justice when allegations of maltreatment arise. Also, to intervene effectively, it is necessary to take into account children's expectations regarding others' reactions so that misperceptions can be corrected. Results will benefit particularly vulnerable victims involved in the justice system, maltreated children, who are disproportionately from low income ethnic minority backgrounds and at risk for a host of later negative outcomes (e.g., juvenile delinquency).