Preparing Children for Court: Effects of a Model Court Education Program on Children's Anticipatory Anxiety
A 2015 study showed that the Kids' Court School significantly reduces children's anxiety related to participating in the judicial process.
In a 2003 study, Drs. Nathanson and Karen Saywitz found that children who were questioned about a past event in a small private room demonstrated a heart rate of 60-120 beats per minute. Children who are questioned in a courtroom, however, demonstrated a heart rate between 60 and 240 beats per minute, indicating a significant increase in stress. This anxiety, coupled with limited knowledge of the legal processes may lead to incomplete, and sometimes inaccurate, testimonies in court.