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Law Enforcement in Cases of Child Maltreatment: A Bibliography
(National Children’s Advocacy Center, 2025) National Children’s Advocacy Center
This bibliography focuses on topics related to the involvement of law enforcement in
cases of suspected child maltreatment. Team collaboration, witness and forensic
Interviewing, peer review and training, and secondary trauma are represented topics.
Publications are listed in date descending order and include articles, book chapters,
reports, research briefs, and international publications. Links are provided to full text
publications when possible. However, this collection may not be complete. More
information can be obtained in the Child Abuse Library Online.
Child victims of intrafamilial sexual abuse: A retrospective study at the Forensic Unit
(Archives de Pédiatrie, 2025) Tchouprikoff, A., Tuchtan, L., Bosdure, E., Bresson, V., Borrione, C., Piercecchi-Marti, M. D., & Delteil, C.
Background
Reports of sexual abuse of minors are increasing, highlighting the important public health problem of child maltreatment with its long-lasting medical, forensic, emotional and social repercussions. The aim of this work was to document epidemiological data on children who were victims or suspected victims of intrafamilial sexual abuse and who were referred to a forensic unit, in order to help prevent abuse and to improve our practice in detection, diagnosis and medical, forensic, psychological and social management.
Method
This was a historical observational descriptive and analytical study carried out in the Forensic Unit of La Timone, part of the Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Marseille, France, over a 2-year period.
Results
One hundred and ninety perineal examinations were performed on young children (average age 9 years), 67 % of whom were more than a month old. Lesions were described in only 30 children (all girls), all of them old. Twenty-one children received psychological or psychiatric follow-up.
Conclusion
This study leads us to call into question our practice for overall management of child victims of sexual abuse and for forensic expert reports, with disappearance of lesions and low information yield from samples taken for genetic identification. There is a need for multidisciplinary management of these children and for specific training in obtaining their testimony. The paediatric units for children in danger (UAPED) can provide unity of time and place with multidisciplinary management.
Experts' Views on Artificial Intelligence-Based Child Chatbots to Train Investigative Interviewing Skills
(Applied Cogntive Psychology, 2025) Sonja P. Brubacher, Martine B. Powell, Miriam S. Johnson, Maria-Cayetana Lopez Cano, Syed Zohaib Hassan, Michael A. Riegler, Pål Halvorsen, Gunn Astrid Baugerud
High-quality training involving interactivity, spaced practice, and feedback is necessary to foster lasting skills in investigative interviewing. Technological advancements have yielded the possibility of using intelligent chatbots for interviewers to practice skills; but to be useful, such tools must offer quality learning experiences. In the present study, 28 interview trainers and professionals with related experience tested a chatbot for 10 min. The participants were then interviewed regarding the chatbot's utility. The professionals reflected on the learning elements and user experience. They appreciated the self-paced and reflective nature of the tool, including its ability to provide feedback. The participants' concerns–for the current chatbot and the use of AI in training more broadly–included the need for the tool to simulate learning goals and offer nuanced experiences and feedback. The participants' insights offer important considerations for the use of intelligent chatbots for skills training as the technology advances.
Unveiling Child Sexual Abuse Disclosure in China: An Ecological Exploration of Survivors’ Experiences
(Children, 2024) Tian, T., Katz, I., & Shang, X.
Through a thematic analysis of firsthand posts from 258 abuse survivors in online forums
from 2016 to 2023, this research examines the barriers that Chinese children encounter when disclosing
sexual abuse. The anonymous narratives shed light on the motives behind survivors’ reluctance to
reveal abuse, the outcomes following disclosure, and the wider implications for survivors and their
families under culture. The findings underscore the need for early intervention upon disclosure,
aiming to safeguard children from further harm and foster the development of an effective child
protection framework.
"And Then He Hit Me.” Disclosure Patterns in Forensic Interviews of Preschool-Aged Allegedly Abused Children
(Child Maltreatment, 2025) Røed, R. K., Baugerud, G. A., Grung, R. M., & Johnson, M. S.
Children’s disclosure of abuse constitutes a multifaceted process i.e. critical for professionals to address promptly, ensuring the
immediate protection of the child. Little is known about the patterns of disclosure among preschool-aged children. The present study
investigated disclosure patterns in 131 forensic interviews with preschool-aged allegedly abused children, all of whom reported abuse
during the interview. Specifically, we examined the point in the interview at which children disclosed the abuse, the types of questions
asked by the interviewer prior to the disclosure, whether the children provided new information about the abuse in response to
subsequent questions after disclosure, and the interviewers’ follow-up prompts following the children’s disclosure. The findings showed
an average of 88.9 turns before disclosure. One-third of the children disclosed abuse during the pre-substantive phase of the interview,
with almost half of these disclosing early. Even children aged 3 provided forensically relevant information across multiple turns,
comparable with the 5-year-olds. However, the preschool-aged children were interviewed using techniques that were leading and
involved lengthy sessions, which did not align with best practices. This may raise questions about the validity and representativeness of the
findings. Implications for practice are discussed.