Psychology Discussion/Assignment

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FORENSIC INTERVIEW WITH A CHILD VICTIM OF SEXUAL ABUSE

Important Note: For all Discussions in this course, you are required to complete your initial Discussion assignment post before you will be able to view and respond to your colleagues’ postings. Begin by clicking on the “Post to Discussion Question” link, and then select “Create Thread” to complete your initial post. Remember, once you click Submit, you cannot delete or edit your own posts, and you cannot post anonymously. Please check your post carefully before clicking Submit!

Several factors need to be considered when working with children. They include issues surrounding consent of children, the presence of parents, and the child’s level of understanding. An interviewer needs to remember that “children are children,” despite the hurt that they may have experienced in their lives. A forensic interviewer needs to avoid compounding a child’s pain or jeopardizing the outcome of a legal investigation by failing to comply with the law and with professional guidelines.

In this scenario-based Discussion, you analyze the transcript of a forensic interview with a child victim of sexual abuse. You evaluate the appropriateness of the strategies used by the interviewer and post alternative strategies that might assist in the legal investigation.

To prepare for this Discussion:

Read the Forensic Child Interview transcript. Read the chapter by Zajac from Bull et al., as well as the Bull article.

RESOURCES

Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity. Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.

WEEKLY RESOURCES

Read the articles by Larsson & Lamb and Fontes & Plummer. View the video, Interviewing the Child Client: Approaches and Techniques for a Successful Interview.

Post your response to the following:

Evaluate the appropriateness of the strategies used in the child forensic interview. Discuss what strategies or other behaviors were not appropriate in the child forensic interview with supporting rationale. Suggest two additional strategies available to the interviewer, and discuss why you selected these strategies (e.g., lines of questioning, activities that do not involve talking, etc.…)

Note: Support your postings and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources and any additional sources you identify using both in-text citations and complete references in APA format.

Read a selection of your colleagues' postings.

Respond to at least two of your colleagues' initial Discussion assignment postings in one or more of the following ways:

Build on your colleague’s posting by suggesting additional considerations when interviewing children. Critique the appropriateness of the strategies proposed by your colleague, and consider other strategies that could contribute to the legal investigation. Ask a probing question and provide insight into how you would answer your question and why. Ask a probing question, and provide the foundation, or rationale, for the question. Expand on your colleague’s posting by offering a new perspective or insight. Agree with a colleague, and offer additional (new) supporting information for consideration. Disagree with a colleague by respectfully discussing and supporting a different perspective.

BY DAY 3

BY DAY 5