Forensic Interview Techniques in Child Sexual Abuse Cases: A Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Forensic Psychology
• Child Welfare Studies
• Legal Psychology

Background:

• Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a significant public health issue with long-term consequences.
• Child testimony is vital in CSA investigations, often lacking physical evidence.
• Forensic interviews are critical for gathering accurate child testimony in legal proceedings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a scoping review of judicial procedures for collecting child testimony in CSA cases.
• To identify and describe evidence-based forensic interview protocols.
• To analyze the structure and identify gaps in current interviewing practices.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search across four databases (PsycARTICLES, PubMed, SCOPUS, Web of Science) and manual reference checking.
• Adherence to Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis-Scoping Review (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines.
• Inclusion of 146 empirical studies in English or Portuguese detailing judicial procedures for CSA victim testimony collection.

Main Results:

• Identification of 30 distinct forensic interview procedures for collecting child testimony.
• The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) investigative interview protocol was the most frequently cited.
• Despite variations, identified protocols share a common general structure, with identified gaps in practice.

Conclusions:

• Forensic interviews are indispensable for effective criminal investigations involving CSA.
• Standardized, evidence-based interview protocols are essential for consistent and reliable testimony collection.
• Addressing identified gaps can improve investigative outcomes and support child victim recovery.