This timely volume provides authoritative, integrated coverage of the developmental science relevant 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.
Edited by:
Lindsay C. Malloy,
Rebecca K. Helm,
Tina M. Zottoli
Imprint: American Psychological Association
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions:
Height: 254mm,
Width: 178mm,
ISBN: 9781433842450
ISBN 10: 1433842459
Series: American Psychology-Law Series
Pages: 358
Publication Date: 13 February 2026
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Professional and scholarly
,
Primary
,
Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Foreword Chapter 1. Confessions and Guilty Pleas of Youth: An Introduction Lindsay C. Malloy, Tina M. Zottoli, and Rebecca K. Helm Section I. Developmental and Legal Foundations Chapter 2. Neurodevelopmental Foundations for Understanding Youths' Decision-Making Jill Grose-Fifer Chapter 3. Socio-Emotional Perspectives on Youth Decision-Making Cortney Simmons, Imani Randolph, Jung Min Lee, and Caitlin Cavanagh Chapter 4. Suggestibility and Misinformation Effects in Youth Kamala London and Hera Yang Chapter 5. Perceptions of Youth Suspects and Defendants: When Mock Jurors Get It Right Versus Miss the Mark Margaret C. Stevenson, Kelly C. Burke, and Gabriela S. Rachman Chapter 6. Legal Backdrop: Juvenile Justice Systems in the United States, Canada, England, and Wales Christopher M. King, Sarah Hitchcock, Rachel Bomysoad, Sana Vora, Chinwe Ossai, and Savannah Cuellar Section II. Interrogations and Confessions Chapter 7. The Lee Arthur Hester Case Revisited Steven A. Drizin Chapter 8. Confessions: History, Research, and Current Directions Saul M. Kassin Chapter 9. Youth and Miranda/Police Cautions Emily Haney-Caron, Kaillee Philleo, and Sydney Baker Chapter 10. A Decade After J.D.B.: Youth and Custody Fabiana Alceste and Reece Butler Chapter 11. Police Station Legal Advice and Out-of-Court Disposals for Youth: An International Perspective Vicky Kemp and Cerys Gibson Chapter 12. Youth and False Confessions: An International Perspective Gisli H. Gudjonsson Chapter 13. Trauma and Youths' False and Coerced Confessions Lucy Guarnera and Hayley Cleary Chapter 14. Racial Criminalization, Stereotype Threat, and Interrogations of Youth Cynthia J. Najdowski Chapter 15. Interrogations in School Contexts: Psychological and Legal Considerations Mark D. Snow and Lindsay C. Malloy Section III. Guilty Pleas Chapter 16. False Guilty Pleas: A Case Study in Emerging Adulthood, Coercive Tactics, and a Flawed System Vanessa Meterko and Jaime S. Henderson Chapter 16. False Guilty Pleas: A Case Study in Emerging Adulthood, Coercive Tactics, and a Flawed System Vanessa Meterko and Jaime S. Henderson Chapter 17. Guilty Pleas: History, Research, and Future Directions Miko M. Wilford and Annabelle Frazier Chapter 18. Cognitive Development and Guilty Plea Decision-Making Rebecca K. Helm and Valerie F. Reyna Chapter 19. Guilty Pleas and the Psycho-Legal Abilities of Youth Tina M. Zottoli, Tarika Daftary-Kapur, Kimberly Echevarria, and Aliya J. Birnbaum Chapter 20. Legal Procedures: Protecting Youth Making Plea Decisions or Exacerbating Vulnerabilities? Talley Bettens, Allison D. Redlich, and Rebecca K. Helm Chapter 21. System Disparities: Impact of Racial and Socioeconomic Inequalities on the Plea Process for Youth Martine Fredrickson and Vanessa A. Edkins Section IV. Confessions and Guilty Pleas in Practice Chapter 22. Clinical Practice: Evaluating Youth Who Make Admissions of Guilt Antoinette Kavanaugh and Kathryn Rea Smith Chapter 23. Respectful Representation: Practical Guidance for Effective Counseling, Investigation, and Criminal Representation of Youth Who Have Confessed Maria Hawilo and Megan Crane Chapter 24. The Roles of Parents and Appropriate Adults in Youth Interrogation and Guilty Pleas Jennifer Woolard, Grace Hickman, and Erika Fountain Chapter 25. Applying the ""PEACE Model"" to Youth Suspect Interviews: Enabling a ""Child First"" Approach Martin Vaughan, Rebecca Milne, and Ray Bull Chapter 26. Expert Testimony on Youth Admissions Jeffrey Kaplan and Brian L. Cutler Chapter 27. Conclusions and Emerging Issues Lindsay C. Malloy, Rebecca K. Helm, and Tina M. Zottoli
Lindsay C. Malloy, PhD, is a professor of forensic psychology and Research Excellence Chair at Ontario Tech University. Her research addresses questions concerning interrogations, confessions, and eyewitness testimony, especially among vulnerable people; investigative interviewing techniques; and the disclosure of negative or traumatic experiences. Dr. Malloy’s scholarship is widely cited in forensic and developmental research, and has appeared in amicus briefs submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court. She been the recipient of multiple awards and her research has been funded by several agencies. Her TEDx talk, “Why Teens Confess to Crimes They Didn’t Commit,” (go.ted.com/lindsaymalloy) has been viewed over 1.5 million times. Rebecca K. Helm, PhD, is a professor of law and empirical legal studies, and is director of the Evidence Based Justice Lab at the University of Exeter. She is a qualified lawyer in England and Wales, and in New York. Dr. Helm serves as an academic cochair of the Plea Bargaining Institute and runs the United Kingdom Miscarriages of Justice Registry. She is currently a United Kingdom Research and Innovation Fellow; her work has been widely cited in academic research and in multiple court judgments. She was part of a team that was awarded the Economic and Social Research Council Prize for Societal Impact in 2024. Tina M. Zottoli, PhD, is an associate professor of psychology and director of the Legal Decision Making Lab at Montclair State University. She is a licensed clinical psychologist in New York and serves as cochair of a working group of the Plea Bargaining Institute. Dr. Zottoli’s scholarship focuses on decision making in legal contexts, with emphasis on the legal capacities of adolescent defendants and guilty plea decision making. Her work has garnered national attention and supported the passage of “second-look” legislation in several U.S. states. Her research has been cited in amicus briefs submitted to state and federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court.
Reviews for Confessions and Guilty Pleas of Youth: Developmental Science and Practical Implications
""It is well-documented that when they are interrogated, adolescents are significantly more likely than adults to give false confessions and coerced confessions. This comprehensive guidebook, with contributions from the field's leading experts, is an indispensable resource for scholars interested in adolescence and the law and for attorneys who represent young defendants. I recommend it with great enthusiasm."" - Laurence Steinberg, PhD, Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, and coauthor of Rethinking Juvenile Justice ""Confessions and Guilty Pleas of Youth is a groundbreaking must-read from the leading experts on youth, development, and the law. Blending cutting-edge science with real world implications, the authors reveal how adolescent immaturity shapes decision making in the justice system—often leading young people to confess or plead guilty without fully understanding the stakes. Both powerful and illuminating, this book redefines what it means to achieve justice for youth."" - Elizabeth Cauffman, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Psychology, Education & Law; Director, Center for Psychology & Law; and Director, Master of Legal & Forensic Psychology, University of California, Irvine ""Youth decision making is fundamentally different from that of adults, yet young people in the criminal system are often subjected to the same coercive pressures to confess and plead guilty. This is true for everyone caught in the system's web, including the innocent. This work contains a compelling and comprehensive collection of science, data, and insights into how youth think, making this a must-read for policymakers and anyone working with youth in the system."" - Lucian E. Dervan, JD, Professor of Law and Director of Criminal Justice Studies, Belmont University College of Law, Nashville, TN, and Founding Director, Plea Bargaining Institute