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Why teens confess to crimes they didn't commit

1,589,460 views | Lindsay Malloy • TEDxFIU

Why do juveniles falsely confess to crimes? What makes them more vulnerable than adults to this shocking, counterintuitive phenomenon? Through the lens of Brendan Dassey's interrogation and confession (as featured in Netflix's "Making a Murderer" documentary), developmental psychology professor and researcher Lindsay Malloy breaks down the science underlying false confessions and calls for change in the way kids are treated by a legal system designed for adults.

Why do juveniles falsely confess to crimes? What makes them more vulnerable than adults to this shocking, counterintuitive phenomenon? Through the lens of Brendan Dassey's interrogation and confession (as featured in Netflix's "Making a Murderer" documentary), developmental psychology professor and researcher Lindsay Malloy breaks down the science underlying false confessions and calls for change in the way kids are treated by a legal system designed for adults.

This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxFIU, an independent event. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Read more about TEDx.

Donate to the Center on Wrongful Convictions of Youth, the only criminal justice advocacy organization focused on interrogations, confessions, and kids.

About the speaker

Lindsay Malloy

Developmental psychology professor, researcher

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Lindsay Malloy studies how kids function in a legal system that was designed for adults.

Kassin SM, Drizin SA, Grisso T, Gudjonsson GH, Leo RA, Redlich AD | Law and Human Behavior, 2009 | Article

"Police-induced confessions: risk factors and recommendations."

This is the American Psychology-Law Society’s official “White Paper” on police-induced confessions. It is a must-read for anyone interested in false confessions, period. Psychological and legal experts comprehensively review the scientific literature, policies and legal cases concerning police interrogations including with juveniles and other vulnerable populations.

Arndorfer, Malloy LC, Cauffman E | Law and Human Behavior, 2015 | Article

"Interrogations, confessions, and adolescent offenders' perceptions of the legal system."

Beyond wrongful conviction, what are the potential consequences of teenagers giving a false confession to police? In this study, we examined how incarcerated juvenile offenders' perceptions of the police were related to their confession and interrogation experiences. This study suggests that implementing more developmentally appropriate juvenile interrogation practices may help improve police-youth relations, while also protecting youth from false confession.

International Association of Chiefs of Police, 2012 | Article

"Reducing risks: An executive’s guide to effective juvenile interview and interrogation"

Here are some best-practice strategies for interviewing and interrogating youth in developmentally appropriate ways as outlined by the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

| Article

Amicus Brief submitted by the Juvenile Law Center on behalf of Brendan Dassey’s petition for the U.S. Supreme Court to hear his case

The Juvenile Law Center argues quite beautifully to the U.S. Supreme Court that the lower Wisconsin court had failed to appropriately consider Brendan Dassey’s age or other characteristics when assessing the voluntariness of his confession.

Laurence Steinberg | Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014 | Book

Age of Opportunity: Lessons from the New Science of Adolescence

Professor Steinberg is one of the leading — if not the leading — authority in the world on adolescence. This book will help you understand teens — their brains, emotions, behavior patterns, etc. — and how they are different from adults in ways that matter for legal practice and justice.

Northwestern Pritzker School of Law | YouTube, 2016 | Watch

"Brendan Dassey: A True Story of a False Confession"

Watch Brendan Dassey’s post-conviction attorneys, Steven Drizin and Laura Nirider, break down his case and how certain psychological police interrogation techniques can lead juveniles to confess to crimes that they didn’t commit. Note: This course is eligible for two professional responsibility continuing legal education credits in the state of Illinois.

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This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxFIU, an independent event. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Read more about TEDx.

Donate to the Center on Wrongful Convictions of Youth, the only criminal justice advocacy organization focused on interrogations, confessions, and kids.