I tend to treat books of readings with some suspicion. Is the publisher merely re‐cycling some its own material for a cheap reprint? Is the editor merely re‐hashing material to publish before being damned? Are the authors milking their work for all its worth? Forgive my cynicism; it is an occupational hazard; and surely misplaced here. My apologies to the Anglo‐Canadian editors of the publisher’s new series Essential Readings in Developmental Psychology. In this series, selections of readings are brought together to illustrate important methodological, empirical, and theoretical issues in the areas covered. This volume is introduced by the volume editor, Ray Bull, Professor of Psychology at the University of Portsmouth, giving the rationale behind the papers chosen. Each reading is itself introduced and related to ongoing issues of debate and the wider background of developmental psychology. Further reading is added making each volume an ideal teaching and study resource. From this it might be thought the book would be of little use beyond the lecture theatre and campus library, but I found the topics selected of great relevance to non‐academic reality. True, the papers are solid reading and report research, but they should be of value to anyone who wants to learn more about children and the courts (courts rather than the law in general) and who is prepared to study; practicing professionals and laypersons alike. It goes without saying that the volume would be of value to students of psychology, child welfare, and law.
A total of 13 articles are grouped in five broad subjects. In Part 1 the focus is on the victimization of children; in Part 2 the reliability and credibility of young children’s accounts is treated, and how to assess such accounts; Part 3 focuses on children’s understanding of what a lie is, and what truth is, and the effects of this on interviews; Part 4 looks at children’s performance in the legal system; and Part 5 has an emphasis on children as perpetrators of crimes. Among the article titles that caught my eye were “Assessing the accuracy of young children’s reports”; “Children’s understanding about lies”; “The effect of ‘lawyerese’ on children”; and “Children as abuse perpetrators.” There are extensive bibliographies and an index. The papers come from such journals as American Psychologist and Law and Human Behavior (two apiece), Applied Development Science, Psychological Bulletin Studies on Crime and Crime Prevention, Journal of Experimental Child Psychology and Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. Some material has been specially written for the book.
In the past, says the editor, children were ignored by legal systems, their views being thought of no value. However, in the last 20 years or so, the role of children in legal proceedings has changed, particularly as witnesses, perpetrators, or as parties to divorce proceedings. One important notion that emerges is the fact that child victims may go on to commit crimes, including child abuse. If we can learn more about child victimization, how to assist children to give full and truthful accounts, and how best to accommodate child witnesses and victims, then we may be better able to do children justice.
The papers make no concessions to popular appeal; there is no dumbing down. But the “contextualization” is relatively user‐friendly and anyone seriously interested and concerned with children and the law would benefit from the study of these readings.
