When Is a Child’s Forensic Statement Deemed Credible? A Comparison of Physical and Sexual Abuse Cases

This study analyzed a large national sample of child abuse reports in Israel to compare how credibility was assessed for physical versus sexual abuse. Physical abuse reports were less likely than sexual abuse reports to be judged credible. The same factors predicted credibility for both: older age, no cognitive delay, and a single, less severe incident. Even after accounting for these factors, the type of abuse still affected whether a report was judged credible.