The vulnerability of young people to standard police interrogation tactics is well-established and widely acknowledged. Less attention has been paid, however, to the impact of other coercive factors on false confessions by youth. Just as developmental immaturity undermines youths' ability to withstand police coercion, so, too, does it render them susceptible to the influence of peers and authority figures. This session will explore the phenomena that lead youth to confess falsely, even when they are not subjected to aggressive police questioning. This panel will also consider the role of intellectual disabilities, mental illness, gang involvement, and childhood trauma in these "voluntary" (non-police induced) false confessions. Following a social science overview, an interactive discussion will use case examples to explore client interviewing, investigation, litigation, and Conviction Review Unit (CRU) presentation strategies.