BAKER, J.
At a jury trial that commenced on August 17, 2011, the State called Dr. Judith Williams to testify. Dr. Williams is a licensed clinical psychologist with extensive experience counseling child victims of sexual abuse. Although Dr. Williams had counseled K.F. from April to June of 2010, her testimony was not specifically related to K.F.’s treatment.
Instead, Dr. Williams testified about general characteristics, mannerisms, and behaviors that are common among child abuse victims. When the deputy prosecutor asked Dr. Williams to describe the type of person to whom a child will initially disclose abuse, Lyons objected on the grounds that the question “called for speculation.” Tr. p. 518. After Dr. Williams confirmed that her answer would be based on “studies,” the trial court overruled the objection. Id. Lyons made no further objection to Dr. Williams’s testimony.
Dr. Williams testified that sex abuse victims will spend time with the offender if the victim feels “special.” Id. at 517-27. And most of the time, the victim does not want the offender to get in trouble. Dr. Williams testified that victims feel guilty, are depressed, and lack self esteem. Moreover, some victims have suicidal thoughts.
Dr. Williams also testified that children often do not disclose instances of abuse because they are confused or embarrassed and believe that the offender’s actions are their fault. The child victim also is quite often afraid of the offender and feels obligated to keep a promise made to the offender not to tell anyone about the abuse.
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In our view, Lyons mistakenly contends that Dr. Williams’s testimony was “scientific testimony” and is therefore governed by the principles set forth in Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, 509 U.S. 579 (1993), [footnote omitted] and the requirements of Evidence Rule 702(b). This rule provides that “[e]xpert scientific testimony is admissible only if the court is satisfied that the scientific principles upon which the expert testimony rests are reliable.” (Emphasis added).
Our Supreme Court has determined that the “specialized knowledge” set forth in Evidence Rule 702(a) is not necessarily scientific knowledge, and it need not be proven reliable by means of “scientific principles.” Malinski v. State, 794 N.E.2d 1071, 1084 (Ind. 2003). Rather, such evidence is governed only by the requirements of Rule 702(a), and any weaknesses or problems in the testimony go only to the weight of the testimony, not to its admissibility, and should be exposed through cross-examination and the presentation of contrary evidence. Turner v. State, 953 N.E.2d 1039, 1050 (Ind. 2011).
Dr. Williams was testifying to specialized knowledge about sex abuse victims based on her training, education, and experience as a licensed clinical psychologist who has extensive experience counseling victims of sexual abuse. Her testimony was not based on any scientific principles or rules. Rather, Dr. Williams was testifying generally about matters commonly observed in sexual abuse victims in the psychological literature and in her own practice.
Dr. Williams has specialized knowledge in the area of child sexual abuse that goes beyond the knowledge generally held by lay observers. She is a licensed and practicing clinical psychologist with masters degrees in counseling education and clinical psychology as well as a doctorate in clinical psychology. Dr. Williams has had “considerable experience” counseling patients who are victims of sexual abuse. Tr. p. 514-15. Approximately one-third of Dr. Williams’s practice consists of children, and about one-third of those patients have been sexually abused, meaning that she counsels approximately one hundred sexually abused children per year. In other words, Dr. Williams has specialized knowledge in the area of child sexual abuse that would assist the jury in understanding the evidence and determining the facts at issue.
We note that while jurors can and should rely on their own common sense, a search for the truth also requires them to understand and consider the extent to which their personal assumptions may be invalid. Gaining insight and information from a witness with a deep knowledge of, and extensive experience in, a relevant field helps the jurors to perform their task more accurately. We also note that Lyons was free to cross-examine Dr. Williams regarding the studies upon which she was relying and to emphasize for the jury that these studies may have been only valid for treatment purposes and thus not intended to be used for diagnostic purposes or as reliable tools for assessing whether abuse actually occurred.
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In this case, Dr. Williams did not testify that there was any recognized syndrome or profile of child sexual abuse victims, much less that K.F. fit such a profile and had therefore been abused. In fact, Dr. Williams did not specifically testify about K.F. And just as important, the State did not present Dr. Williams’s testimony to prove—even by implication or inference—that K.F. had been molested. Instead, the State offered Dr. Williams’s testimony because K.F.’s credibility had been called into question. Indeed, Lyons repeatedly emphasized alleged inconsistencies in K.F.’s various statements regarding the abuse and a changing time pattern in the accusations. And Dr. Williams’s testimony was presented to show the jury that things Lyons was using to attack K.F.’s credibility, were, in fact, not atypical of child sex abuse victims. In sum, this was a proper use of expert testimony in this realm. See Stout v. State, 612 N.E.2d 1076, 1080 (Ind. Ct. App. 1993) (recognizing that expert testimony that an individual’s behavior is consistent or inconsistent with that observed from other victims is a type of evidence that is admissible).
ROBB, C.J., and BRADFORD, J., concur.