Gothard S
Child Welfare. 1987 Jan-Feb;66(1):13-24.
Testimony in court by child victims of sexual abuse results in further trauma, frequently inconsistent or retracted accusations, and, in incest cases, exacerbation of family difficulties. A number of states have liberalized rules of evidence in such instances to spare the child; some states have enacted legislation simplifying introduction of the child's out-of-court statements, although the constitutionality of these statutes has yet to be tested.
性虐待儿童受害者在法庭上作证会导致进一步的创伤、频繁出现前后矛盾或撤回的指控,而且在乱伦案件中,还会加剧家庭困境。一些州放宽了此类案件的证据规则以保护儿童;一些州已颁布立法简化儿童庭外陈述的引入,尽管这些法规的合宪性还有待检验。