Abstract
This study was designed to explore the effects of event drawing during investigative interviews on the richness of the accounts made by children. The sample included 125 children aged 4 to 14 years, alleged victims of sexual abuse. The children were first interviewed with open-ended invitations before they were randomly assigned into one of two interview conditions: with (n = 69) or without (n = 56) event drawing, and then reinterviewed. Children in the drawing group disclosed more free recall information about the abusive events than children in the comparison group, including central details about people, actions, time, and location of the incidents. The effect of drawing was evident regardless of child's age, gender, type of abuse, and time delay. These findings suggest that event drawing, as used in this study, can enhance children's forensic statements in child abuse investigations.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 171-179 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Child Maltreatment |
| Volume | 15 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - May 2010 |
Keywords
- Drawing
- Investigative interviews
- Memory
- Sexual abuse
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
- Developmental and Educational Psychology
