Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Evaluating Child Sexual Abuse Interview Tactics


 Evaluating Child Sexual Abuse Interview Tactics
            In effort to effectively assess suspected sexually abused children, various interviewing techniques are employed.  Typically, structured interviews, open-ended interviews, and consultations utilizing anatomically correct dolls are implemented.  Such tools enable the practitioner to determine whether or not the child is a victim, test the reliability of the child’s testimony, and refrain from using leading questions which may influence the child’s responses (Butcher, Mineka, & Hooley, 2010).  With the prevalence of such cases in modern times, accordingly, researchers have increasingly analyzed the efficacy of such interview tactics.  An evaluation of this phenomenon is provided hereafter.
            First, journal article, Interviewing Children about Psychological Issues associated with Sexual Abuse (1991), researchers emphasized an open-ended approach.  More specifically, a general psycho-diagnostic interview was suggested to examine ego, cognitive, and socio-emotional functioning as well as affect and personality.  Such questioning offers children the opportunity to disclose personal information in a non-offensive manner, nor is the response swayed by the inquiry.  Additionally, practitioners advise wording appropriate and comprehensive in consideration of the aptitude of the child.  Furthermore, it should be duly noted that the initial questions are generally based on feelings, relationships, and experience in effort to establish rapport prior to more in-depth sexual abuse disclosure.  Also, researchers stressed the importance of offering positive feedback and reassurance to the child throughout the assessment process.  Contrarily, some researchers consider unstructured techniques to be less effective since these approaches may be difficult for the child to follow.  Instead they recommend structured questioning which is capable of overcoming children’s apprehensiveness, shame, and limited communicative skills.  This information was compiled over the course of 3 years with observation of 100+ diagnostic interviews of children aged 3-17 of which nearly 80% were female, inclusive of varying demographics and ethnicities (Shapiro, 1991).
            Another article, Children’s Memories of a Physical Examination involving Genital Touch: Implications for Reports of Child Sexual Abuse (1991), illustrated the effectiveness of the usage of physical examinations in conjunction with anatomically correct dolls, and direct and indirect questioning.  Researchers observed 72 girls, 5 to 7 years of age.  Initially, 50% of them (36) were administered genital assessments while the remaining half was given a non-genital assessment.  Subsequently, recollection of the sexually abusive event was regarded through the presentation of anatomically correct dolls along with a combination of frank and oblique questioning.  Results indicated that younger children responded better to non-genital examination.  However, older children were more expressive in the genital examination group.  This suggests that older children’s bodily awareness is greater than younger children.  Additionally, children were less expressive in terms of mere recollection versus the doll demonstration and direct questioning.  This supports the notion that a direct, structured approach is more beneficial than unstructured, indirect techniques (Saywitz, Goodman, Nicholas, & Moan, 1991).
            Personally, I am inclined to agree with the usage of structured interviewing techniques.  This approach enables the practitioner to observe and evaluate the subject in relation to traditional research while granting the client the ability to successfully disclose personal information, particularly in regard to sexual abuse, without obstructing the therapeutic process.  Additionally, a direct approach grants inexperienced practitioners the ability to follow specific guidelines in order to advantageously diagnose and treat the client.  Considering the child’s proficiency and comfort along with the practitioner’s propensity, the amalgamation of structured, open-ended questioning and the use of anatomically correct dolls are most advantageous to realizing truth and fulfilling effective assessment.    

References:
Butcher, J.N., Mineka, S., & Hooley, J.M. (2010). Abnormal psychology (14th ed.).
Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
            of a physical examination involving genital touch: Implications for reports of child sexual abuse.      
            Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 59(5), 682-691.
Shapiro, J.P. (1991). Interviewing children about psychological issues associated with
            sexual abuse. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 28(1), 55-66.