NCJ Number
185132
Journal
Trial Volume: 36 Issue: 7 Dated: July 2000 Pages: 106-111
Date Published
July 2000
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This article describes some of the most highly respected therapeutic methods currently used by therapists, in cooperation with attorneys, to help prepare children to be witnesses in a legal setting.
Abstract
Psychodrama, which takes several forms, has been used as an effective therapeutic tool since the 1920's. This process allows the creation of a therapeutic stage for the child to overcome inhibitions and to "act out" his/her inner self in spontaneous, creative ways. Psychodrama involves the dramatization of a personal tragedy in front of the attorney and should be organized and conducted only by a trained psychologist licensed to practice psychodrama. Play therapy is another tool to help prepare a child witness. It offers the child opportunities to release tension, enhance self-expression, and heal pain and sadness. Another therapeutic technique that may help reduce a child's anxiety about testifying in court or about the underlying trauma itself is systematic desensitization. The intent is to associate the anxiety-provoking stimuli with peaceful relaxation. Within the past decade a treatment technique known as traumatic incident reduction has been advocated in certain severe cases to help children review traumatic incidents thoroughly from beginning to end. It is designed to help them overcome the original trauma and to communicate the incident to others without further trauma. If a child must testify directly at trial, the attorney must educate him/her about what to expect and must make the child comfortable, even to the point of visiting an empty courtroom to accustom the child to the setting in which he/she will testify. 3 footnotes