Interviewer's questions, children's responses : assessments of children who may have been abused Patterson, Thelma Gay (Tess)
Material type:
- Thesis (Ph.D) - University of Otago, 2002 . Spine title: Interviewer - child interactions
- 362.76 INT
Item type | Current library | Call number | Status | Barcode | |
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Vine library | Online | Available | ON19100004 | |
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Vine library | TRO 362.76 INT | Available | A00666688B |
Thesis (Ph.D) - University of Otago, 2002
This thesis is based on interviews conducted with 26 three to eight year old children who were assessed regarding concerns that they may have been abused, and on 88 transcripts of children undergoing a diagnostic assessment for potential sexual or physical abuse at a regional Child Youth and Family protection agency. Three issues are considered: how children were questioned; how they responded; and the conditions under which the children disclosed substantive issues. The author argues that there are specific techniques that enable children to disclose abuse more comfortably, and specific techniques that inhibit any sort of disclosure. The author further argues that many of the procedures in place in the court system currently fall in the second category and actually inhibit the child as they are focused on evidence and proof, rather than putting the child at ease. Recommendations are made for further research in the area of effective methods for interviewing children, as well as recognition of the three studies in current practice.
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