Abstract:
The process of child disclosure of sexual abuse can be complex. Children often disclose abuse
consistently across settings (continuous disclosure), though there is research to support that
children may deny abuse or recant their allegations despite the abuse having truly occurred
(London et al., 2008; Bradley & Wood, 1996; Malloy, Lyon, & Quas, 2007). In this study, data
was collected from voluntary MTurk users (N = 688). Mock jurors responded to a survey
assessing perceptions of child credibility, defendant guilt, and child susceptibility to external
influence in response to each CSA disclosure pattern (continuous disclosure, denial, recantation).
Additionally, expert witness testimony regarding typical child disclosure processes (present or
absent) and child age (4- or 8-years-old) acted as independent variables. A number of significant
results emerged with respect to disclosure patterns and expert witness presence. Forensic
implications and future directions are discussed.