Anatomical Dolls Research Articles

Use of demonstration means (anatomic dolls) during interrogation of a minor

The article deals with the use of demonstration means during the interrogation of minors who are victims of violent crimes, including those committed on sexual grounds. It is noted that in practice it is very difficult to communicate with children affected by violence. First, the child locks himself in and does not want to tell the stranger what happened to her. Secondly, at a young age, a child may not be able to correctly describe an event because of a lack of terminology, especially that of anatomical parts of the body. It is possible to obtain the necessary testimonies from a child without stress and psychological trauma through the use of anatomical dolls, since the child associates himself with the doll and can even show how it has been harmed. That is, by asking a "third party" question, it is better to establish contact between the psychologist or the investigator and the child. Not only children, but also people with certain mental health problems, impaired language and sensory sensations, etc., can better express what has happened to them through demonstration tools. The characteristics of such demonstration means as "anatomical dolls" are highlighted, the principles of their use are outlined, attention is paid to their importance for pre-trial proceedings. A variety of demonstration options are offered, depending on the situation at the interrogation. It is substantiated that it is necessary to conduct the interrogation without unnecessary psychological traumatism in a child-friendly environment in which it will feel safe. The best option is to interview in a "crisis room" that is specifically tailored to handle this category of people, including video conferencing. Tactical and procedural peculiarities of engaging in the interrogation of juvenile victims of violent and sexual crimes, a psychologist, a legal representative and other obligatory participants are explored. Knowing the peculiarities of psychological development at a certain stage of the child's development, it is the psychologist who will help the investigator to give a correct assessment of the testimony of a minor and to formulate questions in terms of pedagogy and psychology.

Structure of Interrogation of Juvenile Victims of Violent Sex Crimes

The development of a single certified approach to the process of obtaining the testimony of minor victims, the availability of pre-formulated questions in an understandable for a child manner is one of the ways to increase the effectiveness of interrogation. Domestic forensics does not allocate a dedicated structure for questioning juvenile victims of sexual violence. International practice has different protocols, among which we should highlight the NICHD and RATAC, individual achievements of which can be used effectively in the domestic tactics. The working stage of the interrogation must pass through the stages of establishing psychological contact, acquaintance, explanation of the purpose and procedure of the investigative action, small talks, casual talk of a minor about the sexual abuse, questions, and the use of auxiliary elements. Particular attention should be given to the instructions to minors concerning the rules for replies "I do not know, I do not remember, I do not understand", as due to their age they may not clearly understand them. The stage of a minor's casual talk provides little information, so the question stage is of high importance. We offer to pay special attention to the form of questions, since a child, based on it, concludes if the interrogator implies a "correct" answer. Having considered closed, open, direct, non-structural and abstract questions, we conclude that there is some feasibility for using open-ended questions, direct questions as clarifying, while setting other types of questions should be kept to a minimum. Unstructured questions can be used when asking only minors of senior school age, if the level of their development make it possible. Despite the criticism of anatomical dolls and charts, their use is possible in some strictly defined cases, if other means were not effective.

How children verbally reported their experiences of a genital exam

ABSTRACTThis literature review examines five empirical studies that researchers conducted to investigate children’s reports about their experience of undergoing a genital examination. Findings show older children tend to provide more extensive and accurate accounts of their experiences than younger children, who are particularly vulnerable when questioned about genital touch. Results further reveal that the use of anatomical dolls with young children contributes to errors and that children commit errors of omission as well as errors of commission. Factors associated with accurate and inaccurate recall are highlighted, and areas in need of further exploration are identified.

Forty Years of Forensic Interviewing of Children Suspected of Sexual Abuse, 1974–2014: Historical Benchmarks

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.

Techniques Employed by Forensic Interviewers Conducting Extended Assessments: Results from a Multi-Site Study

This study employs multi-site data from extended assessments of 137 children suspected of sexual abuse to examine what interview techniques evaluators use and what techniques yield information related to sexual abuse. Frequently used techniques were general assessment activities; touching education; nonleading, abuse-focused questions; and prevention education. Infrequently used techniques were anatomical dolls, standard anatomical drawings, and narrative elaboration. Techniques with higher yields of confirmatory details about sexual abuse were anatomical dolls, cognitive interviews, and narrative elaboration. Lower yield techniques were general assessment activities, touch education, hand-drawn anatomical drawings, and prevention education. Techniques associated with a rating of sexual abuse likely were the use of anatomcal dolls and anatomical drawings.

Forensic Interviewing Aids: Do Props Help Children Answer Questions About Touching?

The belief that props help children report abuse has fostered the widespread use of anatomical dolls and body diagrams in forensic interviews. Yet studies involving alleged abuse victims, children who have experienced medical examinations, and children who have participated in staged events have failed to find consistent evidence that props improve young children’s ability to report key information related to bodily contact. Because props elevate the risk of erroneous touch reports, interviewers need to reconsider the belief that props are developmentally appropriate in forensic interviews, and researchers need to explore new approaches for eliciting disclosures of inappropriate touching.

The Use of Anatomical Dolls as a Demonstration Aid in Child Sexual Abuse Interviews: A Study of Forensic Interviewers' Perceptions

Given that most cases of child sexual abuse lack external corroborating evidence, children's verbal accounts of their experiences are of paramount importance to investigators. Forensic interviewers are charged with interviewing child victims and oftentimes use anatomical dolls. Yet, research on dolls has not caught up to practice in the field. Using a multimethod approach, this study presents new evidence on the function and value of using anatomical dolls as a demonstration aid. With a standardized protocol, forensic interviewers from an urban Midwestern Children's Advocacy Center evaluated the purpose and value of anatomical dolls in a forensic setting. Relationships between child characteristics and interviewer-perceived value were examined using descriptive, bivariate findings and case examples. Using a large and diverse sample of children, the study found that forensic interviewers perceived children as able and willing to use dolls for purposes of clarification, consistency, distancing, and communication. Results are discussed in the context of real-world applications and best practices and provide an evidence-based foundation for future research.

Forensic, Cultural, and Systems Issues in Child Sexual Abuse Cases—Part 1: An Introduction

This article introduces the first in a two-part special issue focusing on forensic, cultural, and systems issues in child sexual abuse cases. The five articles contained in this issue include a diversity of perspectives on approaches to extended interviews and evaluations of child sexual abuse suspicions, an exploration of the ways culture affects child sexual abuse disclosure and reporting, considerations relevant to the management of a child's mental health needs while forensic process are ongoing, and the use of anatomical dolls in forensic interviews. We call for attention to several practice areas, including (a) prioritizing a child's mental health needs while minimizing disruption of forensic processes, (b) developing best practices and models of child sexual abuse assessment and evaluation when a one-session forensic interview is insufficient, (c) appropriately evaluating child sexual abuse concerns when they occur without a disclosure and/or in children with communication limitations, and (d) the integration of cultural sensitivity into interviews and evaluations.

Assessing the Relative Importance of the Child Sexual Abuse Interview Protocol Items to Assist Child Victims in Abuse Disclosure

This study identifies (1) the importance of using the Child Sexual Abuse Interview Protocol for multiple disciplines to obtain detailed information of what the alleged child victims say and claim, and (2) the concurrence of multiple professionals about the relevance of items in the protocol in their practice. A survey with 100 items based on the Child Sexual Abuse Interview Protocol was self administered by 36 professionals working at a child advocacy center including administrators, attorneys, child advocates, support persons, physicians, police, psychologists, and social workers. These respondents unanimously felt it was very important for interviewers to complete two specific items during the course of an investigative interview: “showing the interviewer is listening to the child” and “showing patience with the child.” As indicated by the average rating scores, 89 items were perceived between very important and important, and nine items as somewhat important. No item on this scale was rated as doesn’t matter or unimportant. Social workers and police officers did not differ significantly in their ratings of the importance of these items. Both quantitative and qualitative results support four major considerations when using an interview guide: 1) flexibility in opening and closing the interview, 2) professional and appropriate use of the anatomical dolls, 3) assessment of the age and mental state of the child, and 4) determination of the order of questions based on severity of incidents. This study provides data to identify the importance of using a comprehensive interview protocol for multidisciplinary professionals who work with alleged victims of child sexual abuse. The use of these 100 items will enhance the effectiveness of conducting a one-time interview to avoid repeated interviews. This study that was originally aimed at comparing differences among professionals has, in fact, demonstrated the similarities across disciplines, as agreement among various professional groups was substantial. This finding dissolves the myth that multiple disciplines brought forth diverse opinions and instead encourages the “working together” concept of a team.

Using Anatomical Dolls in HIV/AIDS Prevention Programs

Research has shown that the correct and consistent use of the male latex condom is the single most efficient, cost-effective way to reduce the sexual transmission of HIV and other infections. Yet information must be communicated in a way that is clearly understood and actually contributes to behavior change for both women and men. Anatomical dolls, cloth dolls with actual displays of sexual body parts, can be an effective component of any participatory, learner-centered HIV/AIDS prevention program, particularly when demonstrating the correct manner in which to use male latex condoms. Anatomical dolls are nonthreatening educational tools that help facilitate communication by visually demonstrating safe sex practices and minimizing the communication problems inherent in talking about sexual issues. Dolls can reduce embarrassment, confusion, language and cultural barriers. Dolls allow learners to become familiar with sexual body parts, engage in role play, and practice condom usage in a safe, appropriate manner. Anatomical dolls make things easier for the educator and clearer for the learners. This article profiles two programs, Planned Parenthood in Bend, Oregon, and the AIDS Orphans Skills Center in Mozambique, Africa, that have successfully used the anatomical dolls in HIV/AIDS prevention programs. These are two very different programs, yet audiences share a common success.

Analysis of alleged sexual-abuse child victims' responses according to question types and anatomical doll use

Analysis of alleged sexual-abuse child victims' responses according to question types and anatomical doll use

Child’s Play: Anatomically Correct Dolls and Embodiment

Anatomically detailed dolls have been used to elicit testimony from children in sex abuse cases. However, studies have shown they often provide false accounts in young, preschool-age children. Typically this problem is seen as a cognitive one: with age, children can correctly map their bodies onto a doll due to greater intellectual ability to represent themselves. I argue, along with the work of Maurice Merleau-Ponty, that although cognitive developments aid in the ability to represent one’s own body, a discussion of embodiment is required in order to understand the use and abuse of anatomical dolls in forensic interviews. This paper examines these issues and maintains that a better understanding of embodied perception in both adults and children helps show how phenomenology can provide a more nuanced understanding to a troubling ethical and legal problem.

Anatomical Dolls: Their Use in Assessment of Children Who May Have Been Sexually Abused

ABSTRACT This article examines anatomical dolls in interviews of children who may have been sexually abused from three perspectives. The article summarizes research findings on anatomical dolls, discusses advantages and disadvantages of using them, and describes endorsed doll uses. Although additional, ecologically-valid research is needed on anatomical dolls, the selective use of anatomical dolls, as communication aids, when interviewing children who may be reluctant or unable to describe sexual abuse is warranted.

Back to the Future: A Comment on the Use of Anatomical Dolls in Forensic Interviews

ABSTRACT Many researchers and interviewers have become disenchanted with the practice of using anatomically detailed (AD) dolls during forensic investigations, yet there is still support for doll-assisted interviews. This comment discusses five major concerns about AD dolls, involving child-related and interviewer-related factors. The research findings suggest that individuals who advocate for AD dolls bear the burden of proving that dolls are the best alternative for eliciting information about personally-experienced events from children.

Developmental Differences in the Function and Use of Anatomical Dolls During Interviews With Alleged Sexual Abuse Victims.

The impact of anatomical dolls on reports provided by 3- to 12-year-old alleged sexual abuse victims (N = 178) was examined. Children produced as many details in response to open-ended invitations with and without the dolls. In response to directive questions, the 3- to 6-year-olds were more likely to re-enact behaviorally than to report verbally, whereas the 7- to 12-year-olds produced more verbal details than enactments when using the dolls. With the dolls, the younger children were more likely than the older children to play suggestively and to contradict details provided without the dolls, whereas the older children were more likely to provide details that were consistent. Children in both age groups produced proportionally more fantastic details with the dolls than without the dolls.

Use of visual tools to report sexual abuse for adults with mental retardation.

Adults with mental retardation were assessed for their ability to use visual tools for identifying body parts. Participants were shown three representations: anatomical dolls, anatomical drawings, and live models, each of which had a sticker placed on a body part. They were asked to name that body part and place a sticker in the same place on their own body. Results indicated that verbal labeling was easier for participants with mild mental retardation compared to moderate mental retardation. Level of mental retardation affected the participants' ability to correctly place the stickers. Form of representation was also important. Live models were easier to use compared to dolls and drawings. Implications for forensic evaluations are discussed.

CRITICAL ISSUES IN MULTIDISCIPLINARY CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE ALLEGATION INVESTIGATIONS

During the past ten years, research in the area of investigative interviews of child sexual abuse has focused on the child victim. Current literature in this area can be grouped into eight interrelated categories: (1) the developmental aspects of memory recall, (2) understanding children's language, (3) avoidance of repeated questioning, (4) validation and children's credibility, (5) false allegations, (6) videotaping interviews, (7) using anatomical dolls, and (8) interviewing techniques. A growing concern is the use of developmentally appropriate techniques to avoid false allegations. A dual-focus approach in conducting an investigative interview and 12 guiding principles are recommended for improving social workers' knowledge, skills and attitude.

Strengths and Limitations of Forensic Child Sexual Abuse Interviews with Anatomical Dolls: An Empirical Review

A comprehensive review of the use of anatomical dolls reveals three areas of research: (1) normative studies (with no known history of sexual abuse) of children's interactions with anatomical dolls; (2) comparative studies of children suspected of being victims of sexual abuse, and those believed not to be; and (3) the role anatomical dolls play in the identification of a child who has been sexually abused. The results of empirical studies in each area are mixed and inconsistent. However, there is general clinical support for the use of the anatomical doll as a demonstration aid during forensic interviewing with children over 3 years of age.

How to Interview Sexual Abuse Victims - Including the Use of Anatomical Dolls

How to Interview Sexual Abuse Victims - Including the Use of Anatomical Dolls

Use of Anatomical Dolls in Interviewing Sexually-Abused Children ―Review of the Anatomical Doll Controversy―

Use of Anatomical Dolls in Interviewing Sexually-Abused Children ―Review of the Anatomical Doll Controversy―