Psychological Assessment of Alleged Child Sexual Abuse Victims

Second Tool: Fact Finding

Guidelines:

Determination of the events of the alleged sexual abuse (Fact Finding) and relationship building are also activities and goals pertinent to forensic interviewers who may have professional backgrounds besides psychology. For a thorough review of these issues, please refer to web site materials written by Ethel Amacher, Ann Graffam Walker, and also by Connie Carnes. For the sake of clarifying the boundaries of roles, these issues will not be discussed in detail in the present section about psychological assessments, but would include such issues as:

1. Using child's language level
2. Using forensically defensible questions
3. Seeking information to explain a progression of events
4. Receiving the child's feedback in an emotionally appropriate manner
5. Exploring alternative hypotheses
6. Comparing statements with test data findings
7. Recognizing and recording "Behavioral Reenactment" of abuse behaviors during the interview, etc.