Interviewing the Prepubertal Child for Possible Sexual Abuse

Abstract

Introduction In this chapter, the following topics are covered: the extent of the problem of sexual abuse, whether the health care professional should question the child when there are concerns about sexual abuse, research about the process of sexual abuse disclosure, general guidelines for questioning children, record keeping, interview structure, the use of demonstrative communication, gathering information about the extent of abuse, a rationale for following the advice about questioning, and reporting interview findings. The purpose of this chapter is to provide health care professionals with the skills they need to effectively interview a prepubertal child for possible sexual abuse.