"Jerome Sattler's Clinical and Forensic Interviewing of Children and Families is by far the best and most
comprehensive resource on clinical interviewing with children and families that has ever been available. This exciting
new volume by a master clinician-scholar is a contribution that will prove to be enormously useful to professionals
and students who work with children and families. This book fills a large void in the field and is bound to become
an instant classic."
--Eric J. Mash, University of Calgary
"Clinical and Forensic Interviewing of Children and Families will prove to be a landmark publication with
respect to the interview process. It is a superb vehicle for teaching the skills required for successful interviewing.
It is incredibly refreshing to have the opportunity to review a work that obviously has required much time, much
research, much scholarship, and is definitely a labor of love. Dr. Sattler, thank you for a major contribution."
--Paula K. Lundberg-Love, University of Texas, Tyler
"Clinical and Forensic Interviewing of Children and Families is destined to be the classic text in its field.
The book is both rich in facts and wise in counsel. The breadth of Dr. Sattler's scholarship is virtually unparalleled,
and his acknowledgments make it quite clear that impressive specialists in nearly every field covered have cross-checked
his work. The subsidiary materials consisting of figures, tables, and interview questionnaires will be priceless
for those learning to interview as well as for professionals in the field."
--William A. Hillix, San Diego State University
Jerome Sattler Web Site, July, 2000
Preface
PREFACE
Clinical and Forensic Interviewing of Children and Families is designed to help students and professionals in human
services fields become competent clinical assessment and forensic interviewers. The impetus for writing this text
was my renewed appreciation of the importance of the interview as an assessment tool. The human services field
is evolving rapidly. More and more children are being referred for custody evaluations, maltreatment, depression,
suicide attempts, and health-related conditions. Homelessness, AIDS, substance abuse, and crisis intervention have
become extremely important areas for mental health professionals. The increase in managedhealth care programs
places greater demands on all clinicians to provide time-limited, focused, and cost-effective service. There is
less time and money for intense diagnostic study, despite the potential benefits. A text that addressed these topics
was clearly needed.
This book is based on the philosophy that one cannot be a competent clinical assessment or forensic interviewer
unless he or she has the relevant information about the child's presenting problem, as well as knowledge of the
interventions that might help the child and family. Therefore, in this text, you will find information about the
major problem areas encountered by children and their families and about interventions, along with suggestions
for conducting interviews. You should consult additional references about the child's problem areas, as needed.
This book will benefit students and professionals in all human services fields, including social work, clinical
psychology, counseling psychology, school psychology, rehabilitation psychology, health psychology, pediatric psychology,
psychiatry, education, and speech therapy. In addition, professionals in such allied fields as medicine, nursing,
law, and law enforcement have much to gain from reading it. This text provides both theoretical and practical guidelines
to help students and professionals develop skills in interviewing children, adolescents, parents, families, and
teachers.
One entire section of the book is devoted to the assessment of child maltreatment. Two considerations led me to
give extensive coverage to this area. First, child maltreatment is of increasing concern to human services workers,
as billions of dollars are being spent by governmental agencies for the investigation, care, and treatment of children
who are alleged to have been maltreated or who have been maltreated. Second, the interview plays a critical role
in the assessment of child maltreatment. The more you know about the pitfalls of interviewing in cases of child
maltreatment, the more effective you will be in interviewing children and in presenting your findings in any criminal
proceedings, in which interview techniques are sometimes challenged. The material in Section V will give you a
foundation for understanding child maltreatment and a foundation for conducting child maltreatment interviews.
To conduct effective clinical assessment or forensic interviews with children and adolescents, you need to know
about normal children and their families and about children who have developmental or behavioral problems or special
needs. Although this book presents normal developmental landmarks and reviews features associated with several
behavioral and medical problems found in children, I encourage you to read appropriate texts in normal child development
and child psychopathology if you are unfamiliar with these areas.
Table of Contents
SECTION I. GENERAL PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES OF INTERVIEWING AND REPORTING
1. Introduction to Clinical Assessment Interviewing
Goals of the Clinical Assessment Interview
Factors to Consider in Performing Clinical Assessment Interviews
Clinical Assessment Interviews in Relation to Other Assessment Procedures
Theoretical Perspectives for the Clinical Assessment Interview
Clinical Assessment Interviews Compared with Conversations and Other Types of Interviews
Strengths and Weaknesses of the Clinical Assessment Interview
A Preferred Model for the Interviewer-Interviewee Relationship
Stages of Clinical Assessment Interviews
Degrees of Structure in Initial Clinical Assessment Interviews
Steps in the Clinical Assessment Process
Learning to Be an Effective Interviewer
Ethical Considerations for Clinical Assessment Interviewers
Children at Risk
Overview of the Text
Concluding Comments
Thinking Through the Issues
Summary
2. Conducting the Interview
Introduction to Interview Guidelines
Factors Influencing the Interview
External Factors and Atmosphere
Forming Impressions
Listening
Sending Nonverbal Messages
Analytical Listening
Observation Guidelines
Establishing Rapport
Timing Questions Appropriately
Changing Topics
Widening the Circle of Inquiry
Formulating Appropriate Questions
Major Types of Questions to Avoid
Using Structuring Statements
Encouraging Appropriate Replies
Probing Effectively
Dealing with Difficult Situations
Remaining Objective
Recording Information and Scheduling
Confidentiality of the Interview Material and Assessment Findings
Thinking Through the Issues
Summary
3. The Initial Interview with Children
General Considerations in an Initial Interview with Children
Developmental Considerations in Interviewing Children
Techniques for Interviewing Children
Areas Covered in the Initial Interview with Children
Self-Monitoring Assessment
Case History Report
Thinking Through the Issues
Summary
4. The Initial Interview with Parents, Teachers, and Families
Interviewing Parents
Interviewing Teachers
Interviewing the Family
Closing the Initial Interview
Evaluating the Initial Interview
Thinking Through the Issues
Summary
5. The Post-Assessment and Follow-Up Interviews
Post-Assessment Interview
Follow-Up Interview
Thinking Through the Issues
Summary
6. Reliability, Validity, and Other Considerations Related to the Interview
Reliability and Validity of the Interview
Assessment of Malingering
Evaluating Your Interview Techniques
The Challenges of Being an Expert Witness
Interviewer Stress
Thinking Through the Issues
Summary
7. Writing the Interview Report
Introduction to Writing the Interview Report
Sections of an Interview Report
Principles of Report Writing
Concluding Comment on Writing the Interview Report
Thinking Through the Issues
Summary
SECTION II. INTERVIEWING CHILDREN AND FAMILIES OF ETHNIC MINORITY GROUPS
8. Ethnic Minority Groups: An Overview
Background Considerations
Dynamics of Cross?Ethnic and Cross?Cultural Interviewing
Interpreters
Thinking Through the Issues
Summary
9. Specific Minority Groups
Black Americans
Hispanic Americans
Native Americans
Asian Americans
Refugees
Intervention Considerations
Semistructured Interviews
Recommendations for Interviewing Ethnic Minority Children and Their Families
Thinking Through the Issues
Summary
SECTION III. INTERVIEWING CHILDREN WITH PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS AND CHILDREN AND FAMILIES FACING LIFE STRESSORS
10. Children with Psychological Disorders: An Overview
How Psychological Disorders Develop in Children
Living with a Child with a Psychological Disorder
Interviewing Issues
Interventions
Thinking Through the Issues
Summary
11. Children with Behavioral or Emotional Disorders
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Conduct Disorder and Oppositional Defiant Disorder
Depression
Anxiety Disorders An Overview
Separation Anxiety Disorder
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Dissociative Identity Disorder
Thinking Through the Issues
Summary
12. Children with Developmental, Learning, or Sensory Disorders
Autistic Disorder
Mental Retardation
Specific Learning Disability
Visual Impairment
Hearing Impairment
Thinking Through the Issues
Summary
13. Children and Families Facing Bereavement or the Threat of Suicide
Bereavement
Suicide
Thinking Through the Issues
Summary
14. Children and Families Facing Adoption, Divorce, or Homelessness
Adoption
Divorce and Custody Evaluations
Homeless Families and Children
Thinking Through the Issues
Summary
SECTION IV. APPLYING PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES OF INTERVIEWING TO THE PEDIATRIC FIELD
15. Children with Health-Related Disorders: An Overview
Children's Understanding of Their Medical Illnesses and the Disruptive Effects of Medical Illnesses on Development
Coping with a Medical Illness
Adherence
Families of Medically Ill Children
Healthy Children in a Family with a Medically Ill Member
Thinking Through the Issues
Summary
16. Children with Health-Related Disorders: Interviewing and Formulating Interventions
Interviewing Children with Medical Illnesses
Interviewing Parents of Medically Ill Children
Interviewing in Cases of Terminal Illness
Evaluating the Interview
The Post-Assessment Interview with Medically Ill Children and Their Parents
Interventions with Medically Ill Children and Their Families
Thinking Through the Issues
Summary
17. Interviewing and Interventions for Specific Pediatric Health-Related Disorders, Part 1
Pain
Asthma
Diabetes
Childhood Cancer
HIV and AIDS
Pediatric Headaches
Failure to Thrive
Thinking Through the Issues
Summary
18. Interviewing and Interventions for Specific Pediatric Health-Related Disorders, Part 2
Sleep Disorders of Childhood
Substance Abuse
Eating Disorders
Thinking Through the Issues
Summary
19. Children with Brain Injuries
Background Considerations in Understanding Brain Functions
Causes of Brain Injury
Traumatic Brain Injury
Specific Effects of Brain Injury
Diagnostic Techniques for Brain-Injured Children
Interviewing Brain-Injured Children
Observing Brain-Injured Children
Interviewing Parents of Brain-Injured Children
Evaluating the Assessment Findings
Rehabilitation Programs for Brain-Injured Children
Concluding Comment on Interviewing Brain-Injured Children and Parents
Thinking Through the Issues
Summary
SECTION V. CHILD MALTREATMENT
20. Background Considerations in Child Maltreatment, Part 1
The Challenge of Child Maltreatment Interviewing
The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act
Definition and Types of Child Abuse and Neglect
Reporting Child Maltreatment
Child Maltreatment as a Social Problem
Reasons Why People Maltreat Children
The Offender In Cases of Child Physical Abuse and Neglect
The Offender in Cases of Child Sexual Abuse
The Offender in Cases of Child Emotional Abuse
Statistics on Perpetrator Characteristics for All Types of Maltreatment
Child Maltreatment in Facilities, Institutions, or Foster Homes
Thinking Through the Issues
Summary
21. Background Considerations in Child Maltreatment, Part 2
Process of Disclosure of Maltreatment
Effects of Child Maltreatment
Children's Memory, Lying, and Suggestibility Allegations of Child Maltreatment
Comment on the Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act
Thinking Through the Issues
Summary
22. Interviewing Considerations in Cases of Child Maltreatment
A Model for Interviewing in Cases of Child Maltreatment
Preparing for the Initial Interview in Cases of Child Maltreatment
Interviewing the Child in Cases of Child Maltreatment
Interviewing the Family in Cases of Child Maltreatment
Interviewing the Alleged or Known Offender in Cases of Child Maltreatment
Concluding Comment on Interviewing Children, Families, and Alleged Offenders in Cases of Child Maltreatment
Thinking Through the Issues
Summary
23. Evaluation and Intervention in Cases of Child Maltreatment
Evaluating Allegations of Child Maltreatment
Evaluating the Known Offender
Evaluating Facilities, Institutions, or Foster Homes
Risk Assessment
Interventions
Concluding Comment About Interviewing Children Who May Have Been Maltreated
Thinking Through the Issues
Summary
EPILOGUE
APPENDIXES
A: List of National Organizations for Families with Special Needs
B: General Sources of Information for Families with Special Needs
C: Miscellaneous Tables
D: New York State Risk Assessment Profile
E: Highlights of the Third National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect (NIS-3)
F: Semistructured Interviews
