ABSTRACT

Giving evidence in court can be stressful, especially for children. Since increased anxiety is associated with an increased likelihood of unreliable testimony among children, reducing anxiety in this context is important to improve the quality of evidence. Dogs have been used in legal settings, such as courtrooms, to provide comfort for vulnerable witnesses. Preliminary evidence supports their use, but further research is needed to better understand this phenomenon. The aim of this study was to characterize the employment of dogs in legal settings for survivors of sexual and/or family violence (SFV), as reported by adult professionals working in those contexts. This qualitative, exploratory study included interviews with 11 professionals (9 women, 2 men) working with dogs in legal contexts. Participants reported considerable benefits for survivors when dogs are integrated into these settings. Participants reported that survivors felt more comfortable opening up about their experiences, remaining calm enough to give reliable evidence. Several participants reported that this willingness to give evidence in court led perpetrators of SFV to plead guilty to the charges. In addition to reported benefits for survivors, participants also indicated that staff morale improved. Challenges identified included logistical (e.g., managing staff with dog allergies) and structural (e.g., lack of support from other members of the legal community) issues. Animal welfare was a priority for all participants, but some dogs experienced high workloads. Future research should empirically examine these benefits, to understand whether the use of dogs in legal settings should be encouraged.

摘要

在法庭上作证可能会有压力，尤其是对儿童而言。由于焦虑增加与儿童不可靠证词的可能性增加有关，因此在这种情况下减少焦虑对于提高证据质量很重要。狗已被用于法律场合，例如法庭，为弱势证人提供安慰。初步证据支持它们的使用，但需要进一步研究以更好地了解这种现象。本研究的目的是描述在性暴力和/或家庭暴力 (SFV) 幸存者的法律环境中使用狗的特征，正如在这些环境中工作的成年专业人员所报告的那样。这项定性的探索性研究包括对 11 名在法律环境中与狗打交道的专业人士（9 名女性，2 名男性）进行访谈。参与者报告说，当狗融入这些环境时，幸存者会受益匪浅。参与者报告说，幸存者更愿意坦白自己的经历，保持足够的冷静以提供可靠的证据。一些参与者报告说，这种在法庭上作证的意愿导致 SFV 的肇事者对指控认罪。除了报告的幸存者福利外，参与者还表示员工士气有所提高。确定的挑战包括后勤（例如，管理对狗过敏的员工）和结构性（例如，缺乏法律界其他成员的支持）问题。动物福利是所有参与者的首要任务，但有些狗的工作量很大。未来的研究应该实证检验这些好处，