Ojjdp Releases Best Practices for Forensic Interviews of Children in Cases of Alleged Abuse

PR Newswire
October 8, 2015

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ojjdp-releases-best-practices-for-forensic-interviews-of-children-in-cases-of-alleged-abuse-300154200.html

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) today released Child Forensic Interviewing: Best Practices. This bulletin represents the first collaborative effort by professionals from several major forensic interview training programs to summarize the current knowledge and application of best practices on gathering factual information from children regarding allegations of child maltreatment.

Most child abuse investigations begin with a forensic interview of the child. This bulletin provides guidance on topics such as interview timing and setting, question type, rapport-building between the interviewer and the victim, interview aids, and vicarious trauma and self-care. OJJDP commissioned this report as a resource for law enforcement, medical, court and other child protection professionals working in this field.

TITLE: Child Forensic Interviewing: Best Practices

AUTHORS: Chris Newlin, Linda Cordisco Steele, Andra Chamberlin, Jennifer

Anderson, Julie Kenniston, Amy Russell, Heather Stewart, and Viola Vaughan-Eden

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About the Office of Justice Programs (OJP)

OJP, headed by Assistant Attorney General Karol V. Mason, provides federal leadership in developing the nation's capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice and assist victims. OJP has six components: the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the National Institute of Justice; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; the Office for Victims of Crime and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking. More information about OJP can be found at www.ojp.gov.