The special character of the child has to be kept in mind both when it
appears as witness and as accused. To treat it like an adult is always
wrong. It would be wrong, moreover, to seek the differences in its
immaturity and inexperience, in its small knowledge and narrower
outlook. This is only a part of the difference. The fact is, that
because the child is in the process of growth and development of its
organs, because the relations of these to each other are different and
their functions are different, it is actually a different kind of being
from the adult. When we think how different the body and actions of the
child are, how different its nourishment, how differently foreign
influences affect it, and how different its physical qualities are, we
must see that its mental character is also completely different. Hence,
a difference in degree tells us nothing, we must look for a difference
in kind. Observations made by individuals are not enough. We must
undertake especial studies in the very rich literature.[281]