The makings of a reliable interview with a child witness

2001 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 25-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martine B. Powell ◽  
Donald M. Thomson
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Essential Elements ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
Child Witness ◽  
Paper Briefly ◽  
Practical Recommendations ◽  
Clear Description

AbstractThis paper briefly describes four essential elements of interviews involving children, where the primary goal is to obtain detailed and accurate information about an event (e.g., an alleged incident of sexual abuse). These elements include (a) the establishment of a good rapport with the child, (b) a clear description of the purpose and ground-rules of the interview, (c) objectivity and open-mindness, and (d) effective questioning skills. A rationale for the importance of each of these elements and practical recommendations are offered.

Cross-examination, sexual abuse and child witness identity

2002 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 137-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen L Westcott ◽  
Marcus Page
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Child Witness

scholarly journals Registered intermediaries’ assessment of children’s communication: An exploration of aims and processes

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 374-395
Author(s):  
Kimberly Collins ◽  
Sarah Krahenbuhl
Keyword(s):  
Essential Elements ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Independent Practice ◽  
Child Witness ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Youth Justice ◽  
Legal Process ◽  
Quality Child ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Registered Intermediaries

Following the implementation of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 for England and Wales, Registered Intermediaries have been available to assist child witness communication in legal proceedings since 2004. Registered Intermediaries are given training to fulfil this role. However, their assessments and practices are conducted independently. This study examined Registered Intermediaries’ perceptions and experiences of this independent practice, and the impact this had on the quality of the legal process in terms of evidential quality, child witness experiences and engagement. Seventeen experienced and currently active Registered Intermediaries with a range of communication specialisms took part in semi-structured interviews, which were analysed thematically. Six main themes emerged from the data: assessment constraints and requirements, essential elements of the assessment process, why the assessment process is effective, ensuring recommendations are followed through, pressures and barriers, and practice development. The Registered Intermediaries stressed the need for further training for themselves as well as for legal professionals, and emphasised the benefits of working as a team throughout the assessment and legal process.

Prosecutors' recommendations for improving child witness statements about sexual abuse

2013 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 189-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberlee Shannon Burrows ◽  
Martine Powell
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Child Witness ◽  
Witness Statements

Commentary About Cheit’s Witch-Hunt Narrative

2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 940-947 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erna Olafson
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Child Sexual Abuse ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
Multidisciplinary Teams ◽  
Child Victims ◽  
Child Advocacy ◽  
Treatment Protocols ◽  
The Witch ◽  
Witch Hunt

Ross Cheit’s lengthy study is strongest when he describes in detail the findings of his 13 years of research into the original records of the key “witch hunt” cases of the 1980s to set the record straight, when possible, about what really happened. However, because this was partial history that focused primarily on the interplay between academic psychology and the media in a limited number of cases, a commentary about the broader historical and institutional context may lead to a more optimistic conclusion than Cheit seems to reach. Since this latest discovery of child sexual abuse (and its partial suppression with the rapid and predictable construction of the witch-hunt narrative), professionals across a range of disciplines continue to refine statistical science to document the prevalence and impact of child sexual abuse. They continue to enhance our understanding about children’s memory and suggestibility. They have steadily refined methods to elicit full and accurate information from alleged child victims, created child advocacy centers with multidisciplinary teams to handle cases skillfully, and have developed evidence-based assessment tools and treatment protocols for substantiated victims. This solid and continuing academic output, coupled with nationwide institutionalization of the childhood trauma and maltreatment fields in organizations such as the National Child Advocacy Center, the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children, and the National Child Traumatic Stress Network make this rediscovery of child sexual abuse different from the many other discoveries and suppressions that preceded it.

scholarly journals Discussions about child witness interviews during Australian trials of child sexual abuse

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Anne Sophie Pichler ◽  
Martine Powell ◽  
Stefanie J. Sharman ◽  
Nina Westera ◽  
Jane Goodman-Delahunty
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Child Sexual Abuse ◽  
Child Witness ◽  
Witness Interviews

The Essential Elements of Professional Motivation

1996 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Creek ◽  
Cathy Ormston
Keyword(s):  
Health Policy ◽  
Occupational Therapy ◽  
Essential Elements ◽  
External Factors ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Internal Factors ◽  
Practical Recommendations ◽  
Professional Purpose

This article explores how the continuing development of occupational therapy has been fuelled by three essential elements: philosophy, theory and practice. It examines how the interplay between these elements maintains and drives the profession and discusses the part that individual therapists play in sustaining the progress of the whole. The profession is vulnerable. Philosophy, theory and practice are becoming disconnected, leading to dampening of energy and distraction from our professional purpose. Possible explanations are suggested, including internal factors, such as the widening split between academics and clinicians, and external factors, such as changes in health policy. Strengthening the links between philosophy, theory and practice will ensure that occupational therapy remains healthy and progressive. The article concludes with some practical recommendations about what can be done to bring the philosophers, theorists and practitioners together, to fire individual motivations and re-energise the profession.

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