Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Exploring the Impact of Specially Trained Dogs on the Court Experiences of Sexual Offence Survivors in England and Wales: An Exploratory Case Study

  • Published:
European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The current research explored the impact of specially trained dogs on the experiences of sexual offence survivors in an English and Welsh court environment. In total, five cases of survivors of sexual offences were provided with a specially trained dog during court proceedings. In each case, data were collected from several sources, including interviews, observations and various documentation. Using a thorough multiple-case-study design, data were analysed both within and across all cases to identify any individual and thematic patterns. The within-case analysis found that the dog aided survivors in becoming calmer and less anxious. The across-case analysis indicated five reoccurring themes pertaining to the survivor: (1) impact of court context, (2) emotional impact of dog on survivors, (3) physical impact of dog on survivors, (4) change in anchoring due to presence of the dog, and (5) the uniqueness of a dog as a companion. The findings also highlighted important considerations when utilising such services to support survivors at court. Overall, these results identified a large number of benefits not only to the survivors, but also their families and other supporting individuals, providing the first global evaluation of such service for survivors of sexual offence, which should aid in considering the introduction of this service internationally. It is thus recommended that the criminal justice system in England and Wales further explore the use of this service.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ahern, E., Kowalski, M., & Lamb, M. E. (2018). A case study perspective: The experiences of young persons testifying to child sexual exploitation in British criminal court. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 27(3), 321–334.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barker, S. B., Barker, R. T., McCain, N. L., & Schubert, C. M. (2016). A randomized cross-over exploratory study of the effect of visiting therapy dogs on college student stress before final exams. A Multidisciplinary Journal of the Interactions of People and Animals, 29, 35–46. https://doi.org/10.1080/08927936.2015.1069988.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baxter, P., & Jack, S. (2008). Qualitative case study methodology: Study design and implementation for novice researchers. The Qualitative Report, 13(4), 544–559.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beck, C. E., Gonzales, F., Jr., Sells, C. H., Jones, C., Reer, T., Wasilewski, S., & Zhu, Y. Y. (2012). The effects of animal-assisted therapy on wounded warriors in an occupational therapy life skills program (pp. 38–46). US Army Medical Department Journal.

  • Bekker, H., Legare, F., Stacey, D., O'Connor, A., & Lemyre, L. (2003). Is anxiety a suitable measure of decision aid effectiveness: A systematic review? Patient Education and Counseling, 50, 255–262.

    Google Scholar 

  • Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3, 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Callanan, M., Brown, A., Turley, C., Kenny, T., & Roberts, J. (2012). Evidence and Practice Review of support for victims and outcome measurement. London: Ministry of Justice.

    Google Scholar 

  • Citizens Advice (2019). About the Citizens Advice Witness Service. Retrieved from: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/about-us/citizens-advice-witness-service/about-the-citizens-advice-witness-service/

  • Comptroller and Auditor General (2016). Efficiency in the criminal justice system. Retrieved from: https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Efficiency-in-the-criminal-justice-system.pdf

  • Cooper, P., & Norton, H. (Eds.). (2017). Vulnerable people and the criminal justice system: A guide to law and practice. UK: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coppinger, R., & Coppinger, L. (2001). Dogs: A startling new understanding of canine origin, behavior and evolution. New York: Scribne. Cooper, D.R. and Schindler, P.S. (1998) Business Research Methods (6th ed.). Irwin.

  • CPS (2017) Special measures. Retrieved from: https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/special-measures

  • Courthouse Dogs Foundation (2015). Using facility dogs in the court room. Retrieved from http://courthousedogs.com/settings_courtroom.html.

  • Creswell, J. W. (1998). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five traditions. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Creswell, J. W. (2003). Research design. Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Creswell, J. W. (2007). Qualitative inquiry & research design: Choosing among five approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Creswell, J. W., & Plano Clark, V. L. (2011). Designing and conducting mixed methods research (2nd ed.). Los Angeles: Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Damon, J., & May, R. (1986). The effects of pet facilitative therapy on patients and staff in an adult day care center. Activities, Adaptation & Aging, 8(3–4), 117–131.

    Google Scholar 

  • Denzin, N. (1984). The research act. NJ: Prentice Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dellinger, M. (2009). Using dogs for emotional support of testifying victims of crime. Animal Law Review, 15, 171–192.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ewin, R. (2015). The vulnerable and intimidated witness: A socio-legal analysis of special measures. Journal of Applied Psychology and Social Science, 1(2), 31–54.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fairclough, S. (2017). The role of equality in the provision of special measures to vulnerable and/or intimidated court users giving evidence in crown court trials (Doctoral dissertation, University of Birmingham). Retrieved from: http://etheses.bham.ac.uk/7668/

  • Fine, A. (2006). Handbook on animal-assisted therapy: Theoretical foundations and guidelines for practice. Cambridge: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frith, H., & Gleeson, K. (2004). Clothing and Embodiment: Men Managing Body Image and Appearance. Psychology of Men & Masculinity, 5, 40–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gabbert, F., Hope, L., & Confrey, M. (2018). Witness testimony. In The Psychology of Criminal Investigation (pp. 113–132). UK: Routledge.

  • Gerry, F., & Cooper, P. (2017). Effective participation of vulnerable accused persons: Case management, court adaptation and rethinking criminal responsibility. Journal of Judicial Administration, 26(4), 265–274.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gibbs, G. (2002). Qualitative data analysis: explorations with NVivo. Buckingham: Open University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goodman, G. S., Levine, M., Melton, G. B., & Ogden, D. W. (1991). Child witnesses and the confrontation clause: The American Psychological Association brief in Maryland v. Craig. Law and Human Behavior, 15, 13–29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Griffiths, A., & Milne, R. (2018). The Psychology of Criminal Investigation. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gubrium, J. F., & Holstein, J. A. (2002). From the individual to the interview society. In J. F. Gubrium & J. A. Holstein (Eds.), Handbook of interview research (pp. 3–32). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hartley, J. (2004). Case study research. In C. Cassell & G. Symon (Eds.), Essential guide to qualitative methods in organizational research (pp. 323–333). London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Henderson, E. (2015). Bigger fish to fry: Should the reform of cross-examination be expanded beyond vulnerable witnesses? The International Journal of Evidence & Proof, 19(2), 83–99.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hosmer, R. (2008). Discussing the dead: Patterns of family interaction regarding lost family members. Published thesis. USA: University of Denver.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hough, M., Jackson, J., & Bradford, B. (2017). In N. Tilley & A. Sidebottom (Eds.), Policing, procedural justice and prevention. Handbook of Crime Prevention and Community Safety (pp. 274–293). UK: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ishak, N. M., & Bakar, A. Y. A. (2013). Developing sampling frame for case study: Challenges and conditions. World Journal of Education, 4(3), 29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jalongo, M. R., Astorino, T., & Bomboy, N. (2004). Canine visitors: The influence of therapy dogs on young children’s learning and well-being in classrooms and hospitals. Early Childhood Education Journal, 32(1), 9–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krause-Parello, C. A., Thames, M., Ray, C. M., & Kolassa, J. (2018). Examining the effects of a service-trained facility dog on stress in children undergoing forensic interview for allegations of child sexual abuse. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 27(3), 305–320 CA: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leedy, P. & Ormrod, J. (2001). Practical research: Planning and design (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications.

  • Litt, C. (1986). Theories of transitional object attachment: An overview. International Journal of Behavioural Development, 9, 383–399.

    Google Scholar 

  • Majic´, T., Gutzmann, H., Heinz, A., Lang, U. E., & Rapp, M. A. (2013). Animal-assisted therapy and agitation and depression in nursing home residents with dementia: A matched case-control trial. The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 21, 1052–1059.

  • Marteau, T. M., & Bekker, H. (1992). The development of a six-item short-form of the state scale of the Spielberger state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI). British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 31, 301–306.

    Google Scholar 

  • McNicholas, J., & Collis, G. M. (2006). In A. H. Fine (Ed.), Animals as social supports: Insights for understanding animal-assisted therapy. Handbook on animal-assisted therapy: Theoretical foundations and guidelines for practice (pp. 49–72).

    Google Scholar 

  • Milne, R., & Bull, R. (1999). Investigative interviewing: Psychology and practice. Chichester: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Justice (2018). Government increases funding for rape and sexual abuse victims. Retrieved from: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-increases-funding-for-rape-and-sexual-abuse-victims

  • O’Haire, M. E. (2013). Animal-assisted intervention for autism spectrum disorder: A systematic literature review. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 43, 1606–1622.

    Google Scholar 

  • O’Mahony, B., Creaton, J., Smith, K., & Milne, K. (2016). Developing a professional identity in a new year environment: the views of defendant intermediaries working in the criminal courts. Journal of Forensic Practice, 18, 155–166.

    Google Scholar 

  • Patton, M. (1990). Qualitative evaluation and research methods (2nd ed.). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

  • Payne, S. (2009). Redifing Justice: Addressing the individual needs of victims and witnesses. Retreived from http://library.college.police.uk/docs/moj/sara-payne-redefining-justice.pdf

  • Plotnikoff, J., & Woolfson, R. (2009). Measuring Up?: Evaluating Implementation of Government Commitments to Young Witnesses in Criminal Proceedings: July 2009. NSPCC. Retrieved from: https://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/sites/default/files/measuring_up_report_wdf66579(1).pdf

  • Quas, J. A., & Goodman, G. S. (2012). Consequences of criminal court involvement for child victims. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 18(3), 392.

    Google Scholar 

  • Quas, J. A., Goodman, G. S., Ghetti, S., Alexander, K. W., Edelstein, R., Redlich, A. D., ... & Haugaard, J. J. (2005). Childhood sexual assault victims: Long-term outcomes after testifying in criminal court. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, i-139.

  • Robertson, H. (2018). Making the case for support. Retrieved from: https://wearecitizensadvice.org.uk/making-the-case-for-support-7252bc6f4cdf

  • Runeson, P., & Host, M. (2009). Guidelines for conducting and reporting case study research in software engineering. Empirical Software Engineering, 14(2), 131–164.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sanders, C. R. (2003). Actions speak louder than words: Close relationships between humans and nonhuman animals. Symbolic Interaction, 26(3), 405–426.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sandoval, G. N. (2010). Court Facility Dogs - Easing the Apprehensive Witness. Colorado Lawyer, 39, 17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Saywitz, K. J., & Nathanson, R. (1993). Children’s testimony and their perceptions of stress in and out of the courtroom. Child Abuse & Neglect, 17(5), 613–622.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwandt, T. A. (1994). Constructivist, interpretivist approaches to human inquiry. Handbook of qualitative research (Vol. 1, pp. 118–137).

    Google Scholar 

  • Serpell, J. (1995). In J. A. Serpell (Ed.), From paragon to pariah: Some reflections on human attitudes to dogs. The domestic dog: Its evolution, behaviour and interactions with people (pp. 245–256). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shuck, S. E., Emmerson, N. A., Fine, A. H., & Lakes, K. D. (2013). Canine-assisted therapy for children with ADHD: Preliminary findings from the positive assertive cooperative kids study. Journal of Attention Disorders, 19, 125–137.

    Google Scholar 

  • Silverman, D. (2013). Doing Qualitative Research A Practical Handbook (4th ed.). London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, K., & O'Mahony, B. (2018). Vulnerability and Criminal Investigations. In A. Griffiths & R. Milne (Eds.), The Psychology of Criminal Investigation: From Theory to Practice (pp. 91–112). London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spruin, E., Holt, N., Ferdandez, A., & Franz, A. (2016). Dogs in the Courtroom. Crime and Criminal Behaviour. New York: Nova Science Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spruin, E., & Mozova, K. (2018). Dogs in the criminal justice system: Consideration of facility and therapy dogs. Pet Behaviour Science, (5), 1–12.

  • Spruin, E., Mozova, K., Franz, A., Mitchell, S., Fernandez, A., Dempster, T., & Holt, N. (2019). The Use of Therapy Dogs to Support Court Users in the Waiting Room. International Criminal Justice Review. https://doi.org/10.1177/1057567719827063.

  • Stake, R. E. (1995). The art of case study research: Perspective in practice. London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stake, R. (1978). The case study method in social inquiry. Educational Researcher, 7(2), 5–8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stapleton, M. (2016). Effectiveness of animal assisted therapy after brain injury: A bridge to improved outcomes in CRT. Neurorehabilitation, 39, 135–140.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tellis, W. (1997, July). Introduction to case study. The Qualitative Report [On-line serial], 3(2). Retrieved from: http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR3-2/tellis1.html

  • Triebenbacher, S. (1998). Pets as transitional objects: Their role in children’s emotional development. Psychological Reports, 82, 191–200.

    Google Scholar 

  • Victim’s Commissioner (2018). 2017/2018 Annual report. Retrieved from: https://s3-eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/victimscomm-prod-storage-clhgxgum05k1/uploads/2018/07/VC-Annual-Report-2017-18FINAL.pdf

  • Walklate, S. (Ed.). (2012). Handbook of victims and victimology. UK: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wedlock, E., & Tapley, J. (2016). What works in supporting victims of crime: A rapid evidence assessment. Retrieved from http://victimscommissioner.org.uk/app/uploads/2014/10/What-works-in-supporting-vic tims-of-crime.pdf.

  • Yin, R. (1984). Case study research: Design and methods (1st ed.). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yin, R. (1993). Application of Case Study Research. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yin, R. (1994). Case study research: Design and methods (2nd ed.). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yin, R. K. (2003). Case study research: Design and methods (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yin, R. (2004). The Case Study Anthology. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zajac, R., & Hayne, H. (2003). I don’t think that’s what really happened: The effect of cross-examination on the accuracy of children’s reports. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 9(3), 187–195.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zikmund, W. G. (2000). Business research methods. Fort Worth: The Dryden Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zimmer, R. M. (2014). Partnering shelter dogs with prison inmates: An alternative strategy to reduce recidivism and teach social therapy. Master’s Capstone Theses. Retrieved from http://digitalcommons.apus.edu/cgi/ viewcontent.cgi?article¼1014&context¼these.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 1QU, England

    Elizabeth Spruin & Tammy Dempster

  2. Department of Policing, Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury, UK

    Katarina Mozova & Susanna. Mitchell

Authors
  1. Elizabeth Spruin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Katarina Mozova
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Tammy Dempster
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Susanna. Mitchell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Elizabeth Spruin.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Spruin, E., Mozova, K., Dempster, T. et al. Exploring the Impact of Specially Trained Dogs on the Court Experiences of Sexual Offence Survivors in England and Wales: An Exploratory Case Study. Eur J Crim Policy Res 26, 501–527 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10610-019-09419-1

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10610-019-09419-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation