Confessions and Guilty Pleas of Youth: Developmental Science and Practical Implications

This timely volume provides authoritative, integrated coverage of the developmental sciencerelevant to youth who self-incriminate, with implications for practice and policy.

In recent years there has been a surge in empirical research on confessions and pleas in general, and among youth specifically. Reforms have been proposed, and some have been adopted. However, in many ways youth continue to be treated either the same as adults or with well-intended but misguided procedures based on ＂common sense＂ rather than robust developmental science. Growing interest in this topic, coupled with a high volume of scholarship that is not yet reflected in policy, makes the time ripe for this book.

Chapters in the volume demonstrate that developmental science should be front and center when it comes to confessions and guilty pleas of youth, how the legal contexts surrounding confessions and guilty pleas are fraught with risk for youth overall--but especially for those facing systemic disparities--and that there are ways to improve outcomes for youth suspects and defendants. An international group of renowned experts review research and theory, examine current practice and procedure, and provide suggestions for empirically-based reform. A comprehensive, first-of-its kind work, the book links developmental science with applied scholarship and analysis to help inform practice, and to facilitate the development of empirically supported policy and law that takes appropriate account of the developmental capabilities and limitations of youth suspects and defendants.

Intended for researchers, practitioners, and students across a range of fields, including psychology, law, criminal justice, social work, and law enforcement, this book will be a must-read for all who are interested in understanding youth self-incrimination.

Lindsay C. Malloy, PhD, is an associate professor of forensic psychology at Ontario Tech University. She was on research leave for the 2021-2022 academic year as an honorary research fellow at City University London. Her research addresses questions concerning children’s and adolescents’ disclosure of negative or traumatic experiences, especially how, why, and to whom children disclose abuse; cognitive and sociocontextual influences on children’s memory, narratives, and deception; juvenile interrogations and confessions; investigative interviewing and interrogation techniques; and implications of research findings for the legal system. Her scholarship is widely cited in both forensic and developmental psychology, has appeared in amicus briefs submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court, and has resulted in multiple prestigious early career awards (e.g., from Divisions 37 and 41 of the American Psychological Association). She is coeditor of a 2011 volume concerning children’s testimony (Wiley). Dr. Malloy’s research has been funded by several U.S. and Canadian federal agencies, including the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the U.S. National Science Foundation, and the U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Dr. Malloy has a long history of knowledge mobilization and is committed to disseminating research beyond academia. She regularly provides expert testimony and consultation related to children’s testimony and juvenile interrogations and confessions. Recently, she cofounded a nonprofit agency (Pandemic Parenting, Inc.) with the goal of sharing research to help all who care for kids navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. For this work, Dr. Malloy and her cofounder (Dr. Amanda Zelechoski) received the Citizen Psychologist Award and Outstanding Media Contribution award in 2021 from Divisions 37 and 56 of the American Psychological Association, respectively. Her TEDx talk entitled ＂Why Teens Confess to Crimes They Didn’t Commit＂ has been viewed over 1.5 million times.

Rebecca K. Helm, PhD, is a senior lecturer and clinic solicitor at the University of Exeter Law School and a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow. She is an expert in the field of psychology and law, and using psychological theory and quantitative methodology to examine the legal system. Her work has been funded by several organizations including UK Research and Innovation, the Economic and Social Research Council, and the American Psychology-Law Society. Dr. Helm is recognized as one of the leading experts on guilty plea decision-making in the UK and internationally and is frequently invited to deliver talks to both practitioner and academic audiences, to contribute chapters to edited volumes, and to contribute submissions to inform parliamentary debate. She has a particular interest in guilty pleas from children, having completed her PhD in developmental psychology, and has written both academic articles and policy reports on child guilty pleas. Her work has been widely cited internationally in academic work, and has been cited in judgments in the U.S. Court of Appeals, the New York Court of Appeals, and the Iowa Supreme Court. She has also advised public bodies, practitioner organizations, and nongovernmental organizations in this area.

Tina M. Zottoli, PhD, is an associate professor of psychology at Montclair State University and a licensed clinical psychologist in the state of New York. Her scholarly interests lie primarily in decision-making and legal competencies, with primary focus on the decisions of adolescent defendants and in reducing adverse outcomes for system-involved youth (e.g., wrongful conviction). She has particular expertise in guilty plea decision-making, of both youth and adults, and has testified in several cases involving suspected false admissions. Her work on recidivism risk in persons released from life sentences for crimes committed as youth has garnered national attention in the United States, and she has testified before the legislatures of several states with respect to proposed second-chance legislation for youth. Dr. Zottoli’s scholarship has been funded by several organizations including The Vital Projects Fund, Inc. and the American Psychology-Law Society, and she is regularly invited to speak or write on matters related to her scholarship. Her clinical practice focuses on issues pertaining to legal competencies, violence risk and sentencing mitigation, and she is regularly hired as an expert consultant in cases involving youth and young adults.