NCJ Number
145380
Journal
Journal of Child Sexual Abuse Volume: 2 Issue: 2 Dated: (1993) Pages: 99-102
Date Published
1993
Length
4 pages
Annotation
The ideal team for examining child sexual abuse cases would be interdisciplinary, composed of professionals who have equal access to the child and meet to discuss their findings in order to reach a mutual conclusion about diagnosis and treatment.
Abstract
A complete team would include a physician, social worker, nurse, psychiatrist, psychologist, art therapist, and case aides. When designing interviews for purported victims of child sexual abuse, professionals should consider variables including the examination setting and gender of the interviewer. Of concern is the effect of the interview on children, which remains unknown, even though professionals tend to believe that children are benefited by the process. There is a spectrum of diagnoses in sexual abuse cases, including physical symptoms that may be present even when no history can be elicited from the child. Other questions that remain unanswered include the value of single versus multiple interviews and the order of the physical examination and interview.