About this Book

Interviewing children for investigative purposes is a specialized skill. Professional interviewers need to be able to conduct interviews that bear scrutiny from outside agencies and also serve the best interests of children. This book corrects the common misunderstandings about adult-child conversational exchanges and provides guidelines for interviewers. It also presents a flexible interview protocol that can be tailored to meet individual needs. Topics discussed include the current child protection crisis; the difficulties of investigating alleged abuse cases; characteristics of the most respected interview protocols; children's language development and understanding of "interview rules"; ancillary techniques such as the use of drawings and anatomically detailed dolls; and how to stay abreast of the latest research and techniques. /// The book is intended not only for child protection workers, lawyers, law enforcement officers, and psychologists, but also for other mental health professionals, educators, and parents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2004 APA, all rights reserved).