Extended Evaluations in Cases of Child Sexual Abuse: How Many Sessions Are Sufficient?

• NCJ Number: 233381
• Journal: Journal of Child Sexual Abuse Volume: 19 Issue: 6 Dated: November - December 2010 Pages: 648-668
• Author(s): Kathleen Coulborn Faller; Debra Nelson-Gardell
• Date Published: December 2010
• Length: 21 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article provides new findings from a national study involving 18 forensic interview sites of 137 children who were randomly assigned to a four or eight session extended evaluation for sexual abuse.

Abstract

Cases assigned to the eight session protocol were significantly more likely to be classified "credible disclosure" of sexual abuse (56.6 percent) than cases assigned to the four session protocol (29.5 percent) and significantly less likely to be classified "credible nondisclosure" of sexual abuse (9.2 percent) than cases in the four session protocol (24.6 percent). When four versus eight sessions, demographic variables, and case characteristics were entered into a regression, variables that predicted likelihood of sexual abuse were eight session protocol, older victim age, and caretaker belief the child had been sexually abused. When new disclosures were examined by session in the eight session protocol, 95 percent of new disclosures occurred by the sixth session. (Published Abstract)