Adults’ perceptions of children who disclose a transgression to peers or adults

Abstract

Children who witness or experience a transgression often do not disclose the event to anyone. There are a variety of reasons why a child may not disclose this event, such as being asked to keep it a secret, fear that they will not be believed, or concerns about their safety. When children do disclose, it may be to an adult or another child. Yet, it has not been established how these peer- to-peer disclosures are perceived by adults. The present study examined adult perceptions of children who disclose (or not) to a peer and children who disclose (or not) to an adult. Participants rated children on measures of credibility, honesty, and accuracy after hearing a recorded conversation of a child discussing an event to either a peer or an adult. Results indicate that children who disclosed a transgression were perceived as less credible, less honest, and less accurate when talking to another child. This has significant implications for the justice system, as it demonstrates that children who disclose a transgression may be seen as less credible witnesses.