The effect of real-name reporting of specified juveniles on sentencing

According to the 2021 amendment of the Juvenile Law in Japan, the ban on real-name reporting of “specified juveniles” (18- and 19-year-olds) was lifted in principle. In this context, the current study addressed the following research questions: 1) how real-name reporting of specified juveniles affects sentencing, and 2) if empathy mediates the relationship between real-name reporting and sentencing. These questions were investigated by ANOVA and mediation analysis using two crime types (forcible sexual intercourse and damage to property). Results from 944 respondents revealed the following: 1) when a vignette was read in a case regarding forcible sexual intercourse with the real name of a defendant (specified juvenile), a longer sentence was recommended than when a defendant’s real name was not reported, and 2) the indirect effect of real-name reporting on sentencing via empathy was not significant. We discuss practical implications and future research directions with special focus on the former.