NCJ Number
165027
Journal
Child Abuse and Neglect Volume: 20 Issue: 11 Dated: (November 1996) Pages: 1111-1112
Date Published
1996
Length
2 pages
Annotation
This commentary on interviews with children believed to be victims of child sexual abuse focuses on findings of an Idaho study in which most of the interviewers did not know the nature of the allegation.
Abstract
The interview with the child is of central importance in the investigation of whether or not a child has been sexually abused. It outweighs all the other components of the process with respect to the contribution it makes to decisionmaking. A central area of concern among child protective services and civil and criminal courts is the interviewer's possible preexisting bias and subsequent leading style and type of questions. The Boise, Idaho child sexual abuse unit responded to the Idaho Supreme Court recommendation of the use of interviews without leading or bias by changing its practice on whether interviews should know the nature of the allegation prior to the definitive interview session. The unit decided to conduct interviews blind wherever possible. Results revealed not only that the blind condition produced no harmful effect but also resulted in significantly more disclosures among the interviewed children. This research focuses on what actually happens in the field as opposed to the laboratory. It is hoped that this study of interviewer practice will prompt letters to the editor with observations and practice. 3 references