What is good advice for someone interviewing a young child about possible child abuse?
A)Ask specific questions such as "Did he touch you under your clothing?"
B)Have a different interviewer talk with the child at a later time.
C)Encourage the child to compare memories with other abused children.
D)Encourage the child to act out what happened with a doll.

Question

What is good advice for someone interviewing a young child about possible child abuse?​
A)Ask specific questions such as "Did he touch you under your clothing?"
B)​Have a different interviewer talk with the child at a later time.
C)​Encourage the child to compare memories with other abused children.
D)​Encourage the child to act out what happened with a doll.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

It is important to have a different interviewer talk to the child at a later time as this can reduce the likelihood of the child feeling retraumatized or overwhelmed. It also allows for multiple perspectives to be gathered and can help to validate the child's experience. Asking specific leading questions (such as in choice A) can potentially contaminate the child's report and lead to false accusations. Encouraging the child to compare memories with other abused children (choice C) may not be appropriate and can potentially traumatize the child further. Similarly, encouraging the child to act out what happened with a doll (choice D) can be distressing for the child and is not necessary for gathering information.

What Is Good Advice for Someone Interviewing a Young Child