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The Process of Disclosure for Child Victims

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Forensic Interviews Regarding Child Sexual Abuse

Abstract

A mother walks into her bedroom to see her 8 year old daughter being sexually abused by her husband, the young girl’s stepfather. Mortified, she screams at her husband to leave and scoops up her little girl and rushes her to the emergency room. Her daughter participates in a Sexual Assault Forensic Examination (SAFE) and the medical findings are consistent with sexual abuse, which is rare, as less than 10 % of medical examinations are diagnostic of child sexual abuse (Frasier & Makaroff in Olafson & Lederman, 2006). Child Protective Services (CPS) and local enforcement arrive at the hospital and speak with the mother. A forensic interview is scheduled for the young girl for later in the afternoon.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Missouri State University, 901 S National Avenue, Springfield, MO, 65897, USA

    Rachel Fondren Happel M.S., L.P.C.

Authors
  1. Rachel Fondren Happel M.S., L.P.C.
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Correspondence to Rachel Fondren Happel M.S., L.P.C. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Nevada , Department of Psychology, RENO, Nevada, USA

    William T. O'Donohue

  2. Department of Psychology, Missouri State University, Springfield, Missouri, USA

    Matthew Fanetti

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Happel, R.F. (2016). The Process of Disclosure for Child Victims. In: O'Donohue, W., Fanetti, M. (eds) Forensic Interviews Regarding Child Sexual Abuse. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-21097-1_6

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