NCJ Number
181110
Date Published
1996
Length
0 pages
Annotation
First in a series of six, this videotape overviews the child abuse investigation process for law enforcement agencies and discusses the role of police officers in such investigations, issues of sensitivity and victim trauma, and the scope of child abuse.
Abstract
The videotape covers physical, emotional, and sexual abuse of children and describes how to respond when conducting child abuse investigations. The focus is on how to interview children, how to build a strong case for court, child abuse reporting and mandatory reporting laws, how to improve the quality of investigation and prosecution, and how to decrease the trauma experienced by children. The videotape notes that children have different developmental levels and needs and different ways of understanding and reacting to trauma, children's age should be considered in the choice of language used to interview them, professional experts such as doctors and psychologists may contribute to child abuse investigations, and community awareness of child abuse should be increased. Variables to consider in child abuse cases are identified, such as cultural, social, and economic variables, and steps to follow in each stage of a child abuse investigation are outlined.