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Depending on what study you want to believe six to sixty-three percent of women were sexually abused as a child and seven to twenty-six percent of boys shared the same bad experience. ... Most times there are no witnesses and usually the victim is too young to adequately testify leaving the child’s self esteem broken and unable to rehabilitate. Statistics show that the typical child sex offender molests an average of 117 children, most of who do not report the offence (National Institute of Mental Health, 1988). Because of this, I feel that law enforcement agents who investigate child abuse need to be trained, methodical and willing to except the challenge. The following is a basic outline of how to conduct an Ethical Child Abuse Investigation. ... First of all, can he fairly investigate and set aside his own emotions and possible biases regarding child sex abuse. This must be done prior to undertaking the responsibility to investigate cases of child molestation. ...
The purpose of an investigative interview is to determine if a child has been abused (or is at imminent risk of abuse) and, if so, by whom. ... An interviewer’s determination to prove a particular hypothesis impairs the interviewers capacity to receive and interpret information from the child accurately (Sorenson, Bottoms, & Perona, 1997). ... It is recommended that Child Protective Service conduct the interview involving child molestation. ... The best type of statement is obtained by eliciting an uncontaminated narrative from the child in response to open-ended questions. This will help to yield more information and relay a more accurate account by the child. ... It is advisable that the interviewer be familiar with a number of areas, including, but not limited to, child development, linguistic abilities of children, dynamics of abuse and offenders, categories of questions necessary for a thorough investigation, legally acceptable child interviewing techniques, use of interview aids (such as anatomical dolls), issues of cultural competency, and appropriate ways to have the child identify items of potential evidence (i. ... The interviewer should be specifically trained in appropriate child interview techniques.
The APSAC (American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children) Guidelines on the Use of Anatomical Dolls in Child Sexual Abuse Assessments are particularly relevant if the interviewer decides to use this approach. There will be times when investigators are unable to understand fully what, if anything, has happened to a child and may request the involvement of a mental health practitioner to conduct a more extensive forensic assessment. It is not uncommon for the child to disclose the encounter piece by piece over several meetings. Often the child is led to believe that it is their fault. In some cases the child may have been threatened or lead to believe that a loved one will be harmed if the truth is told. The mental health professional should be cognizant of the details of APSAC’s Investigative Interviewing Guidelines and APSAC’s Guidelines for the Psychosocial Evaluation of Suspected Sexual Abuse in Children. ...
The child interview should be timed to meet the needs of the child and the investigation. It is important that the interview be timed so the child is most capable of participating fully. Keeping in mind the age of the child and his normal schedule, the interviewers should, if at all possible, interview when the child is most likely to be fresh and able to communicate. Prior to the interview the investigator should build up a rapport with the alleged victim which is vital in the investigation. ... For example, asking a child to "tell the truth" about the color of a shirt that he is wearing. If the child says red and the sweater is red, the child should be asked if the following statement is the truth or a lie. ... The investigator should wait for the answer to make sure that the child can distinguish between the two and understands the importance to tell the truth. ... For example, if a child is mimicking fellatio on his lollipop while you are conducting an interview it is good to take note of this. ... Prior notification is generally preferred by parents, but when suspected abuse is within the family, notifying parents in advance may result in an offending parents influencing the childs statement. In other cases of suspected abuse within the family, early notification may result in the family’s fleeing the community or simply refusing to allow the interview to take place. If the investigator opts for interviewing the child before parental notification, it is still important that the investigators determine who will explain the action to the parent(s) and when. Choosing the location of the interview with the child is important. It is often recommended that the interview occur in a neutral environment, one in which the suspected perpetrator has no power over the child (NNCAC, 1994; Reed, 1996). ... It is important to conduct the interview where the child feels comfortable and where the alleged offender has no power. It is important the child is fresh and available for a reasonable length of time. The investigator should arrive in unmarked car and wear plain clothes so as not to intimidate the child. ...
The number of interviewers should be governed by how many interviews the child needs to disclose information and how many the interviewers require to determine whether or not abuse has occurred. Many children are able to share details of abuse in a single interview (Bradley & Wood, 1996); others, however, need more than one interview (Carnes, Wilson, & Nelson-Gardell, in press; Sorenson & Snow, 1990). ... It has also been my experience that the more interviews that are conducted the less a jury tends to believe the child. Many jurors have expressed that they felt that the child was coerced or contaminated by the interview process when several interview are administered.
As a rule, only those directly involved with the investigation need to be present during the child interview. The presence of others in the room during the interview might make it more difficult for the child to fully disclose information regarding abuse, particularly explicit details. On the other hand, sometimes the presence of a therapist or school counselor can provide needed support to the child, especially if the child has already made a disclosure to this person. ... ” A stuffed animal some times give a child something to hold on to during the interview which tends to lower his anxiety level.
It is preferable for professionals other than the child interviewer to watch the interview through a one-way mirror or video monitor. ... The presence of a parent during the interview may influence the information the child shares. It usually is a bad idea as the child may minimize the type and frequency of the abuse or the child may turn to the parent before answering questions, looking for some indication of how to respond.
Approximate Word count = 5584
Approximate Pages = 22.3
(250 words per page double spaced)
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