Forensic Interviewers – What is a forensic interview?

 

A forensic interviewer is a specially trained individual who is not a criminal investigator or CPS worker, but who works with child abuse professionals at a Children’s Advocacy Center to interview children who are suspected victims of abuse or neglect.  Forensic interviewers are typically experts in child cognitive, behavioral and sexual development, child verbal development, mental and intellectual disabilities, and child disclosure of abuse.  They are specially trained in interviewing techniques for these children that are not coercive, suggestive or leading, but that are designed to elicit the best possible information from a child without forcing the child to do or say anything that they don’t want to.  These interviews are widely held in the academic and psychological communities as being the best practice standard for interviewing children who have been victims of abuse, to ensure that the child’s story hasn’t been contaminated in any way, and to ensure that professionals have the best possible information to work with during their investigation.  This interview process is also designed to ensure that a child doesn’t have to tell their story several times to several different people, and so that they are more successful in their therapy later if they have been victims of trauma and abuse.

 

There are forensic interviewers that specialize in working with children and special needs populations, as well as others who specialize in working with human trafficking victims or adult victims of physical or sexual violence.  This is now becoming the golden standard for interviewing victims of all kinds of personal attacks or abuse.

 

For more information, click here. 

 

 

Forensic Nurses – What is a forensic nurse examination?

 

Forensic nurses are specially trained and licensed professional medical healthcare providers who provide medical exams to victims of domestic and sexual abuse. Sexual Assault Nurse Examinations (SANE), Sexual Assault Forensic Examinations (SAFE), Domestic Violence Forensic Examinations, Strangulation Assessments, Child Physical Abuse Examinations and Human Trafficking Examinations are performed by these types of nurses.

 

According to the Texas Forensic Nurse Examiners (Center for Forensic Excellence), there are seven parts to a forensic medical examination:

 

1. Informed consent:  The consent process is your authorization for the nurse to treat your body.  As a patient, this empowers you as the patient to reclaim control of your circumstances and surroundings and allow what happens to your body.

2. History:  This includes your medical history and the history of the event to bring you in for the exam.  The nurse’s goal is for you to feel safe, unjudged, and at ease to share this sensitive information.  The nurse will obtain this information in a calm, quiet environment at your own pace. 

3. Head to Toe Physical Exam:  This is when the nurse will evaluate your body from your head to your feet, assessing for physical injuries, medical ailments, and areas that may be a source for DNA collection.

4. Ano-genital Exam:  With the utmost respect of your privacy, here the nurse will assess your genitalia region to evaluate for injury, infection, and any source for DNA collection.

5. Evidence Collection:  This exam serves as evidence, as well as any physical evidence collection.  Physical evidence collection includes but is not limited to: Sexual assault kit, clothing, toxicology testing, non-genital and ano-genital photography, as well as Strangulation Kits.  Not every part of the evidence collection is pertinent to your scenario.  A highly specialized nursing staff will aide you in this process to determine what is the best plan of care for your individualized needs.

6. STI Testing and Prophylaxis:  The nurse will also offer testing for sexually transmitted infections, as well as pregnancy. Together with the nurse, you will make a plan of which medications you feel best suits your medical needs and risk factors associated with what has happened.

7. Safety Planning and Discharge:  The nurse and advocates will work together to ensure you will be safe after leaving.  If safety is an issue or concern, they can assist to find resources to ensure who can start to heal in safe environment.

 

It is important to note that if a patient (whether they are an adult or a child) is uncomfortable with any portion of this exam, the nurses will not force them to continue. Everything about this examination is on the patient’s terms.

 

For more information, click here.  

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If your child or a child you know is currently suffering from abuse or neglect, contact the National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-CHILD (800-422-4453) today.

 

It is typically mandatory under the law in any state, that these things be immediately reported to law enforcement once a disclosure of sexual abuse is made by any person.  Failure to do so and act protectively for a child may be a crime depending on the circumstances.  Even if you or someone else was the victim of sexual abuse as a child, and the victim is an adult today, you should still report it to the authorities.