Interviewing Children Traumatised by Abuse

Children are not merely smaller models of adults. Having worked with children with behavioral issues, which is generally caused by extreme abuse or neglect, I frequently utilize my knowledge and training in Neuroscience to understand how to be of help in a frankly unfathomable situation. Indeed, there is a significant degree of empathy on my part, having grown up in a highly dysfunctional and abusive home. While I fully acknowledge that this destructive behavior can be repeated in the following generations, my siblings and I have chosen to reverse this familial travesty.

 According to Davis (2015), there are over 3 million cases of child sexual or physical abuse or neglect reported in the United States annually. Also suggested by Davis and others (Hamilton, 2017; Strouse, 2016; Zeanah & Humphreys, 2018), there are likely far more cases of child maltreatment that are either undisclosed or undiscovered, and many children are forced to witness acts of violence against siblings or parents. Moreover, legal cases involving domestic violence or child mistreatment are often complicated because the testimony of family members or, in particular, child witnesses can be highly complex, and the emotional desire to protect abusers can prevent prosecution in some cases (Cross & Whitcomb, 2017). Eliciting accurate information in any situation requiring forensic analysis may be more complicated when interviewing children. Thus, social services, law enforcement, and other agencies may utilize unique approaches in investigating cases of abuse or neglect. Maintaining an open rapport with a child victim is crucial in cases of child abuse, mainly where sexual abuse is suspected, and there is no confirmation from other family members (Davis, 2015). In such forensic investigations, a victim sensitive interview is frequently required, and unusual means may be undertaken to better allow children to speak candidly and without undue anxiety (Krause-Parello, Thames, Ray, & Kolassa, 2018).

These child-sensitive interview techniques may involve building a rapport with the interviewer, maintaining social support instead of overwhelming or intimidating the child before questioning, utilizing developmentally appropriate language, and asking open-ended questions that are neither leading nor limiting the response (Tedeschi & Billick, 2017). To avoid leading or suggest ability, interviewers must use the most open-ended, non-leading questions that contain as little information to the reported or suspected events possible while soliciting accurate information.

It is paramount that children feel validated and valued whenever possible, using age-appropriate techniques. Therefore age-appropriate aids should be applied including building rapport, non-threatening interviewing professionals, and a relaxed and supportive environment, my understanding that the accuracy of a child's account of events can be affected by suggesting ability and communication style as well as cultural background intellectual ability among other factors (Rohrabaugh, London, & Hall, 2016).

In conclusion, reports obtained by children can be critical to investigations of suspected child abuse or neglect. Thus, the most successful methodology must be employed when interviewing children who have been abused, physically or sexually, or suffered severe neglect. By utilizing adaptive approaches and techniques that encourage rapport with children, whether through same-gender interviewers or the introduction of trained animals to reduce stress, forensic interviews of children who are suspected to be victims of this abuse should not feel rushed, should be allowed to respond to questions openly and without judgment may provide the best opportunity to obtain accurate accounts of child maltreatment while simultaneously reducing the possibility of a false allegation.

References

Cross, T. P., & Whitcomb, D. (2017). The practice of prosecuting child maltreatment: Results of an online survey of prosecutors. Child abuse & neglect, 69, 20-28.

Hamilton, M. A. (2017). The barriers to a national inquiry into child sexual abuse in the United States. Child Abuse & Neglect, 74, 107-110.

Krause-Parello, C. A., Thames, M., Ray, C. M., & Kolassa, J. (2018). Examining the effects of a service-trained facility dog on stress in children undergoing forensic interview for allegations of child sexual abuse. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 27(3), 305-320.

Rohrabaugh, M., London, K., & Hall, A. K. (2016). Planning the forensic interview. In Forensic Interviews Regarding Child Sexual Abuse (pp. 197-218). Springer, Cham.

Strouse, P. J. (2016). Child abuse: we have problems.

Tedeschi, F. K., & Billick, S. B. (2017). Pediatric PTSD in the DSM-5 and the forensic interview of traumatized youth. J Am Acad Psychiatry Law, 45(2), 175-83.

Zeanah, C. H., & Humphreys, K. L. (2018). Child abuse and neglect. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 57(9), 637-644.