BARNETS BERÄTTELSE I RÄTTSPROCESSEN
berättelsens struktur och värdering
Barns berättelseBarn i rättsprocessRättsfallTrovärdighetTillförlitlighetVittnesmålSociologySociologiSocial Sciences
Children who are exposed to crime are a delicate issue. The purpose of this study was to describe and analyze children's narratives in the juridical process. Our primary questions focused on how adults could help children to express their experiences and what kind of elements imposed the narrative. How is the narrative structured? How does the court evaluate children's testimonies? What increases the credibility of a child's testimony? Our theoretical standpoints are derived from: the narrative perspective, theory of communication, and theory of evaluation. These perspectives led to our formation of a theoretical model where the narrative is co-dependent of communication, which influences the evaluation in court. Besides our understanding stemming from literature, we have made an in-depth analysis of legal cases. The empirical data conducts of four cases, regarding sexual abuse and physical abuse. The results indicate that it is possible to take into account children's own narratives in the legal process, however the evaluation is made from an adult's point of view.