MOCK JUROR DECISION-MAKING IN SEXUAL ABUSE CASES

The empirical literature on variables affecting jury decision-making has focused primarily on cases with male perpetrators almost to the exclusion of female perpetrators. This is particularly true in studies involving sexual abuse cases. In order to further study the impact of gender on juror decision-making, mock jurors read sexual abuse case scenarios that manipulated perpetrator and victim gender, as well as victim age. Mock juror gender was also considered. Many of the results suggest less impact of gender than originally expected. However, mock juror gender did play a significant role in sentence recommendations, and short- and long-term effects of the abuse were correlated with sentence recommendations.