NCJ Number
167039
Date Published
1997
Length
15 pages
Annotation
Guidelines are offered in this training module for conducting interviews with children, assessing the psychological impact of victimization, and assisting children and families with the court process.
Abstract
It is important to provide age-appropriate information that will help children understand the interview and investigation process. The most important thing to remember when interviewing children is that they are not a homogeneous group. Children of different ages vary in language and memory ability, cognitive and social skills, and emotional maturity, and the interview must be molded to the child's stage of development. Effective interviews with children involve rapport building, developmental assessment, competency assessment, and closure. Developmental considerations when interviewing children are noted by age group, as well as stages in children's language development. The psychological impact of victimization is discussed in terms of events experienced by children and mental disorders such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, encopresis, enuresis, separation anxiety disorder, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, nightmare disorder, and sleep terror disorder. Ways of helping children and families cope with the court process and minimize associated trauma are also identified.