Forensic Interviewing of Children

This is an advanced methods mini-course focused on forensic interviewing of children. The mini-course is particularly relevant to interviewing children alleged to have been sexually abused, but also be relevant to gathering information from children about a spectrum of traumatic experiences. This mini-course will provide a critical review of the evidence/research that is relied upon in forensic interviewing of children and will provide information about best practice. The course takes a child-centered/social justice approach, will admonish professionals to take into account the child's needs, developmental stage, and functioning, as well as the specifics of the allegations, when conducting forensic interviews.

This course will cover the following areas: 1) forensic versus clinical practice, 2) brief history of forensic interviewing, 3) models of assessing for child sexual abuse, 4) cultural issues that may impact abuse characteristics, reactions to abuse, and interviews with the child, 5) forensic interview structures, protocols, and guidelines, 6) controversies about appropriate questioning techniques and sequencing in a forensic interview, 7) controversies, relevant research, and best practice related to the use of media in forensic interviews, and 8) current practice regarding extended assessments in forensic work.