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Facilitating interviews with children who may have been sexually abused
Author(s) -
Bentovim Ar,
Bentovim Marianne,
Vizard Eileen,
Wiseman Malcolm
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
child abuse review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.569
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1099-0852
pISSN - 0952-9136
DOI - 10.1002/car.2380040405
Subject(s) - interview , sexual abuse , context (archaeology) , memorandum , psychology , child sexual abuse , child abuse , good practice , child protection , psychiatry , clinical psychology , medicine , developmental psychology , poison control , suicide prevention , nursing , medical emergency , engineering ethics , law , biology , engineering , history , paleontology , archaeology , political science
The introduction of the Memorandum of Good Practice on interviewing children who have been sexually abused has had an important unifying effect on professional practice. However, because of the traumatic nature of sexual abuse there will be a group of children about whom there are high levels of suspicion and where arrangements need to be made for their future care, protection and treatment. These include children who have learning disabilities or communication problems, have psychiatric disorders associated with abuse, or where there have been considerable delays since allegations were first made. Such children require a second‐stage facilitative assessment interview. These include different forms of questioning, and the use of a wide range of prompting materials including art work, free and structured play context and the use of anatomically correct dolls. These approaches are reviewed and illustrated through case studies.