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Factors influencing child witnesses
Author(s) -
CEDERBORG ANNCHRISTIN
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.743
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1467-9450
pISSN - 0036-5564
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-9450.2004.00395.x
Subject(s) - psychology , witness , psychological intervention , intervention (counseling) , affect (linguistics) , developmental psychology , social psychology , clinical psychology , psychiatry , law , political science , communication
This study elucidates how professional intervention can influence children's abilities to report accurately about abuse experiences. Based on knowledge acquired through previous research and the present case study, the study shows how methods of information acquisition used during preliminary investigations can negatively affect child reports. The case study emanates from a larger study of 193 allegedly sexually abused children. Examination of these police interviews shows that 55 children were interviewed more than once and their reports were exposed to possible professional influences before and during the preliminary investigation. The case study reveals the inadequate management of a child witness. The findings indicate that police officers and psychologists should avoid suggestive interventions and co‐ordinate their efforts during the preliminary investigation in order to safeguard the children's as well as the suspects’ legal interests. This paper points out the need for implementing interview interventions that can enhance children's abilities to report accurately about abuse experiences.