Page 76 - Aug Sept 2016

A Case for Specialized and Specific Intervention and Treatment Strategies with Abused Children
state of the art questioning treatment. A valid and reliable progress
environments and protocols, measurement tool for use at the

expectations of adults for children to commencement and duration of treatment
readily speak with a relative stranger would bring a wealth of information to the

following what may be a traumatic and process and outcome of treatment efforts.
embarrassing abuse episode, and that
challenges the child’s family loyalty is There are several efforts attempting to

a tall order. design best practices training programs
in forensic interviews of abused children,
It is well established that the diagnosis among them the American Prosecutors

of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder was Research Institute’s National Center for
developed out of the middle of the Prosecution of Child Abuse, the American
last century’s experience with combat Professional Society on the Abuse of

in various wars. The diagnosis was Children, and the National Children’s
not designed with abused children in Advocacy Center. (Siegal, 2004) The

mind. Marshal, Spitzer, and Liebowitz National Children’s advocacy Center states
(1999) conducted longitudinal studies on their website that their training has an
that used Acute Stress Disorder criteria efficacy of gaining enough credible factual

that suggest that there is a need to witness information to prosecute in 64%
reevaluate the DSM approach to of their cases (www.nationalcac.org) The

stress syndromes. This clearly is the National Center for Prosecution of Child
case when considering the expansion Abuse program strives to get training to
of understanding of the experiences half of the nation by 2010. There was

and behaviors, and special needs of no current information on the website
abused children with PTSD diagnoses. concerning how many States have thus far

Briere and Spinazola (2005) opine been sufficiently trained.
that clinicians often may need to
make decisions on what part of the It would appear that Daubert case may

stress complex is most relevant, point to more than just the ‘junk science’
and that ever more precise tools worry; it may in fact point to the need for

are needed to fully understand the some vehicle to educate judges as well as
unique dimensionality of a survivor front line workers in the care of abused
of trauma. Such understanding should and PTSD diagnosed children. In May of

lead to improvements in the forensic 1996 in the Supreme Court of Tennessee, a
questioning of child victim witnesses dissenting opinion from Judge Leon Burns

and legal interventions, as well as typifies the this particular difficulty:

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