NCJ Number
231056
Journal
Child Abuse and Neglect Volume: 34 Issue: 5 Dated: May 2010 Pages: 318-323
Date Published
May 2010
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This study provides a comprehensive controlled examination of the quality of professionals' contemporaneous written notes of child abuse interviews.
Abstract
Results of the study indicate that professionals' contemporaneous notes of child abuse interviews cannot be considered to be complete and accurate records of interviews. This form of documentation does not provide full scrutiny of the interview process. Only 61 percent of all abuse related details were recorded in the notes, and 57 percent of these were serious enough to potentially impact the nature of the charge. Evaluation of professionals' note taking is important given the strong relationship between interviewer questions and the accuracy of child responses, and the fact that professionals across most jurisdictions display difficulties adhering to best-practice guidelines in the workplace. This study investigated the accuracy and completeness of professionals' contemporaneous written notes of child abuse interviews. Participants included 107 experienced child abuse investigators who were trained to adhere to best-practice interview guidelines and who routinely took notes as records of interviews. Tables and references