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

主要调查人员：Jodi A.Quas和Lindsay MalloyTitle：博士论文研究：虐待和非虐待儿童对披露负面事件的后果的评估摘要起诉虐待儿童是一项特别具有挑战性的工作，部分原因是儿童通常不愿透露虐待行为，而确凿的证据很少。受害者可能害怕披露的负面后果，这可能导致不披露、延误或报告不一致--所有这些都会影响起诉成功的可能性。这项拟议的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理解。调查结果将同时改善对虐待儿童案件的干预和起诉，并为了解弱势儿童的发展做出理论贡献。研究问题包括：(1)儿童对信息披露后果的认知是否存在年龄和种族差异？(2)受虐待儿童和未受虐待儿童的认知是否有所不同？(3)施暴者与受害者的关系如何影响儿童的评价？(4)儿童的认知是否随着自责或照顾者对信息披露的反应而变化？为了回答这些问题，一大批不同种族的4至9岁儿童将参与目前的研究。一半的儿童将因虐待被儿童和家庭服务部认定为真实情况而被从家里带走。剩下的孩子将从与虐待儿童居住的社区类似的社区的学校招募。儿童将阅读描述儿童角色向他/她的母亲讲述成年人(无论是父亲还是陌生人)的错误行为的场景。在一些小插曲中，孩子们会被问及母亲对故事角色的披露会有什么反应。在其他小插曲中，孩子们将被告知母亲对故事角色的披露做出了什么反应，并被要求预测随后的后果和故事角色的感受。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后果的看法的因素，结果将提供对不披露和报告不一致的潜在原因的洞察。如果将这一见解传达给法官、陪审员和一线调查人员，当出现虐待指控时，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。结果将使司法系统中特别脆弱的受害者、受虐待儿童受益，这些儿童来自低收入的少数族裔背景，面临着后来的一系列负面后果(例如青少年犯罪)的风险。

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).