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Sworn to Protect: Interviewing the Child--Conducting Sensitive Child Abuse Investigations

NCJ Number
181825
Date Published
1996
Length
0 pages
Annotation
This video describes how to conduct sensitive child abuse investigations.
Abstract
Sensitive child interviewing is one of the most important aspects of a child abuse investigation. This video presents the continuum of interviewing child victims, noting specifically: preparation of the interview, interview techniques, and documentation. The suggestions and techniques described in the video focus primarily on young children, but the principles involved can be used with older children as well. Interviewers should be familiar with the following: References & Resources; the Dynamics of Abuse; Responses to Trauma; Assessing the Child's Comfort Level; Communicating With Children; Cultural Issues & Barriers; and Childhood Developmental Stages. The interviewer should always be respectful of the child and listen carefully to what he or she says. Elements of a successful interview include: Preparation & Setting; Rapport & Assessment; Structure & Empowerment; Transition & Inventory; Focus; Memory and Free Recall; Questioning Protocol & Tools; Overcoming Reluctance & Anxiety; and Closure & Connections. Interviewers should setup a child-friendly environment, e.g., using child-scale furniture, posters, and other decorative items and carefully use questions and props such as anatomically correct dolls, crayons and drawing paper or other items to elicit responses only as needed to overcome reluctance. Overuse of such aids may jeopardize prosecution of the case. A child's disclosures frequently happen over a period of time and it is important, once rapport has been established, to maintain contact.