Question

You work for a police department in a major city. A brutal crime has just been committed and the only witness is a five year old boy. Please discuss concerns that you might have over the accuracy of the boy’s testimony.

Please make it a lengthy answer backed up with facts! This is for a psychology class in college!! Thank You!!

Answer 1

CONCERNS OVER THE BOY'S TESTIMONY:

The following can be concluded as the points to be considered over the boy's testimony,

1. The boy is just 5 years old which means, he would be in a shock after the brutal attack. So, there are high possibilities that the child might not remember the details of the incident.
2. The boy would not be able to identify a person involved in the crime with much accuracy. For example, all men with a beard would look similar to the boy.
3. The testimony of the boy can be highly manipulative, if someone close to the child has involved in the crime as they can manipulate the child very easily.