Victim Care or Defendant Rights? Assessing Public Attitudes towards Special Measures Designed to Support Vulnerable Witnesses at Trial

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dc.abstract.enThe introduction of ‘special measures’ within England and Wales (i.e., provisions for vulnerable and intimidated witnesses at court) marked a significant change in legal tradition and trial procedures such that victim and witness care was repositioned as a primary concern alongside the longstanding rights afforded to defendants. As public perceptions towards the legitimacy of criminal justice procedure remain a key concern among legal scholars and social scientists, this study aimed to examine individual differences in attitudes held towards the rights afforded to complainants and defendants within English courts. Adopting a cross-sectional study design, 114 UK adults were recruited to take part in an online survey. Questions centered around the importance of providing adequate witness care whilst protecting defendants’ rights to a fair trial. A new measurement tool was developed to allow these attitudes to be systematically assessed and understood, termed the Attitudes Towards Vulnerable Victims Scale (ATVVS). Results indicate that respondent age, gender, level of education, and belief in a just world are important determinants of public support for the use of special measures at trial as well as perceptions towards complainant and defendants’ rights. Taken together, findings indicate that misconceptions about vulnerable victims appear to underlie a lack of support for the use of special measures.
dc.affiliationWydział Psychologii we Wrocławiu
dc.contributor.authorMetson, Jessica
dc.contributor.authorWillmott, Dominic
dc.date.access2024-04-02
dc.date.accessioned2026-10-02T07:57:00Z
dc.date.available2026-10-02T07:57:00Z
dc.date.created2024-03-16
dc.date.issued2024-04-02
dc.description.abstract<jats:p>The introduction of ‘special measures’ within England and Wales (i.e., provisions for vulnerable and intimidated witnesses at court) marked a significant change in legal tradition and trial procedures such that victim and witness care was repositioned as a primary concern alongside the longstanding rights afforded to defendants. As public perceptions towards the legitimacy of criminal justice procedure remain a key concern among legal scholars and social scientists, this study aimed to examine individual differences in attitudes held towards the rights afforded to complainants and defendants within English courts. Adopting a cross-sectional study design, 114 UK adults were recruited to take part in an online survey. Questions centered around the importance of providing adequate witness care whilst protecting defendants’ rights to a fair trial. A new measurement tool was developed to allow these attitudes to be systematically assessed and understood, termed the Attitudes Towards Vulnerable Victims Scale (ATVVS). Results indicate that respondent age, gender, level of education, and belief in a just world are important determinants of public support for the use of special measures at trial as well as perceptions towards complainant and defendants’ rights. Taken together, findings indicate that misconceptions about vulnerable victims appear to underlie a lack of support for the use of special measures.</jats:p>
dc.description.accesstimeat_publication
dc.description.issue4
dc.description.physical1-27
dc.description.sdgQualityEducation
dc.description.sdgGenderEquality
dc.description.sdgReducedInequalities
dc.description.sdgPeaceJusticeAndStrongInstitutions
dc.description.versionfinal_published
dc.description.volume13
dc.identifier.doi10.3390/socsci13040198
dc.identifier.issn2076-0760
dc.identifier.urihttps://share.swps.edu.pl/handle/swps/2576
dc.identifier.weblinkhttps://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/13/4/198
dc.languageen
dc.pbn.affiliationpsychologia
dc.rightsCC-BY
dc.rights.questionYes_rights
dc.share.articleOPEN_JOURNAL
dc.subject.enAttitudes towards Vulnerable Victims Scale (ATVVS)
dc.subject.enspecial measures
dc.subject.envulnerable witness
dc.subject.endefendant rights
dc.subject.encriminal trial
dc.swps.sciencecloudsend
dc.titleVictim Care or Defendant Rights? Assessing Public Attitudes towards Special Measures Designed to Support Vulnerable Witnesses at Trial
dc.title.journalSocial Sciences
dc.typeJournalArticle
dspace.entity.typeArticle