To Mitigate or to Aggravate? The Effects of Trauma History and Treatability Information on Juror Perceptions of Offenders

Abstract

When trauma history is introduced as mitigating evidence in criminal proceedings, it may simultaneously reduce perceptions of blame and heighten fears of future dangerousness. This study investigated whether providing jurors with information about both a defendant's trauma history and the treatability of trauma-related conditions could shift perceptions of culpability, sentencing, and reoffense likelihood. An online sample of 372 adults participated in a mock jury task. We predicted that trauma information, when presented with treatability information, would reduce culpability, sentencing, and reoffense as compared to without. We found that trauma information reduced culpability and increased reoffense predictions, treatability information partially counteracted the aggravating effect on reoffense when trauma was known, and neither independent variable affected sentencing. These findings underscore the importance of pairing trauma evidence with treatability information in forensic testimony.