NEW ERA OF SKEPTICISM REGARDING CHILDREN'S CREDIBILITY

There is increasing skepticism regarding children's credibility. Three sources of this skepticism are discussed. First, the popular media is increasingly skeptical of child witnesses. Whereas press coverage of child victims during the 1980s was largely positive, coverage during the 1990s indicates increasing doubt about children's credibility. Second, some writers in the psychological literature portray children in an unnecessarily negative light, contributing to unwarranted skepticism. Third, the 1994 decision in State v. Michaels is likely to exaggerate doubts about children's memory and suggestibility.