Abstract
This article describes the evolution of forensic interviewing as a method to determine whether or not a child has been sexually abused, focusing primarily on the United States. It notes that forensic interviewing practices are challenged to successfully identify children who have been sexually abused and successfully exclude children who have not been sexually abused. It describes models for child sexual abuse investigation, early writings and practices related to child interviews, and the development of forensic interview structures from scripted, to semi-structured, to flexible. The article discusses the controversies related appropriate questions and the use of media (e.g., anatomical dolls and drawings). It summarizes the characteristics of four important interview structures and describes their impact of the field of forensic interviewing. The article describes forensic interview training and the challenge of implementing training in forensic practice. The article concludes with a summary of progress and remaining controversies and with future challenges for the field of forensic interviewing.
Highlights
In the United States, this awareness was related to concern about child maltreatment in general [1], to the pioneering research of David Finkelhor on the prevalence of child sexual abuse among college students in six New England colleges and universities [2], and to social justice movements, for example the women’s movement and the civil rights movement [3]
The APSAC Guidelines, Practice Guidelines for Psychosocial Evaluation of Suspected Sexual Abuse, were developed in 1990 by the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC) [65], were selected for inclusion because they were the first set of guidelines covering interview structure, captured best practice at the time, and are an example of flexible interviewing
RATAC, in its original form, did not give the child the ground rules at the beginning of the interview, but rather incorporated them as the need arose during the interview
Summary
The mid-1970s marked a renewed awareness of the extent and seriousness of child sexual abuse. Advocacy Center movement in the U.S led to a new group of professionals, specially trained forensic interviewers, whose role initially was to interview children alleged to have been sexually abused, but over time, they have come to be responsible for interviewing children alleged to have been maltreated in other ways [5]. I will first address the impact of professional and public perceptions about the credibility of sexual abuse allegations on forensic interviewing practices and its effect on forensic interviewing. I will describe the policy initiative in the United States that led to the need to evaluate children’s allegations of sexual abuse. Current endeavors to train child forensic interviewers will be documented; included in this discussion will be challenges related to the implementation of training in actual interview practice. Modest proposals for future practice and research will be covered
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