I am doing a research project and I am looking for protocols on
interviewing children where there have been allegations of sexual
abuse. I am particularly interested in finding associations and
organizations who publish best practices for doing sexual abuse
investigations, the do's and don'ts. I am especially interested in
standards related to allegations that arise in the context of custody
disputes. I am looking for as many protocols and references as can be
found. Not that interested in books so much as I am on organizations
such as the APSAC American Professional Society on the Abuse of
Children which may publish guidelines on what constitutes good
interviewing techniques for investigation of allegations of sexual
child abuse.

Dear goffy116:

Thank you for your question. I have found quite a few resources that
fit what you are looking for. In order of relevance:

The National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglict Information has
an online version of their publication "Child Sexual Abuse:
Intervention and Treatment Issues" online. There is an entire chapter
entitled "Techniques for the Childre Interview And A Methodology For
Substantiating Sexual Abuse." I have linked to this chapter directly
below:
http://www.calib.com/nccanch/pubs/usermanuals/sexabuse/method.cfm

The entire publication is available here:
http://www.calib.com/nccanch/pubs/usermanuals/sexabuse/index.cfm

I know you said you weren't interested in books, but the above links
points to publications (including guidelines) published by APSAC.
Unforutunately, they are not free and must be ordered from them. Of
particular interest to you would be the "guidelines" section on their
page. Here the page with descriptions of their publications:
http://www.apsac.org/public.html

You can order from them by filling out their order form, which is
available here:
http://www.apsac.org/APSAC2002ProfessionalPublicationsOrderForm.doc

I was able to find a copy of APSAC's "Recommended Guidelines for
Interviewing Children in Cases of Alleged Sexual Abuse here:
http://www.ipt-forensics.com/journal/volume6/j6_3_2.htm

Also, APSAC offers handouts online from their workshops in .doc
format. Here are direct links to the relevant ones:

Forensically Sound (and Defensible) Interview Techniques 
http://www.apsac.org/Interview%20handouts.doc

Forensic Interview Protocols
http://www.apsac.org/Faller%20Critique%20of%20Forensic%20Interview%20Protocols.doc

Another significant reference is available at the "Internet Resource
for Forensic Investigation of Child Sexual Abuse Cases", which is
available here:
http://childabuse.gactr.uga.edu/chronological/chronological.phtml

In addition to this, the National District Attorneys Association
offers articles with tips and strategies for child sexual abuse
forensic interviews:

The Use of Anatomical Diagrams in Child Sexual Abuse Forensic
Interviews
http://www.ndaa.org/publications/newsletters/update_volume_15_number_5_2002.html

Cultural Sensitivity in the Forensic Interview Process
http://www.ndaa.org/publications/newsletters/update_volume_15_number_1_2002.html

Using Anatomical Dolls In Child Sexual Abuse Forensic Interviews
http://www.ndaa.org/publications/newsletters/update_volume_13_number_8_2000.html

Defending the Investigative Interview
http://www.ndaa.org/publications/newsletters/apri_update_vol_12_no_2_1999.html

Google Search Strategy:

    "sexual abuse" "forensic interview" "best practices" OR
"standards" OR "tips"  OR "protocols" OR "guidelines"
    ://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&safe=off&q=%22sexual+abuse%22+%22forensic+interview%22+%22best+practices%22+OR+%22standards%22+OR+%22tips%22++OR+%22protocols%22+OR+%22guidelines%22

I hope this was the information you were looking for. If you need any
clarifications, please don't hesitate to ask. I would be more than
happy to assist you further.

Best Regards,
blader-ga

Extremely helpful, just what I was looking for. Loads of good
information that I could not find when I used Google.

Hi Goofy166,

Because abuse investigations are typically conducted by social
workers, you may want to contact your state's National Association of
Social Workers (NASW) chapter. They will very likely have some
resources and helpful contacts for you.

NASW Chapters
http://www.naswdc.org/chapters/default.asp

I'm sure you are also aware that most cities and/or counties have
child protective agencies which conduct investigations. These agencies
tend to be heavily regulated and will surely have protocols. If you
can supply appropriate research credentials (and are willing to sign
confidentiality waivers, etc) you might get a great deal of
information and assistance from your local agency.

If you can't locate the child protective agency for your area from
your phone book, Childhelp USA can probably point you in the right
direction.

Childhelp USA
http://www.childhelpusa.org/child/contact.htm

I wish you much luck with your research project!

fsw

I suggest you pose your question to the Institute for Psychological
Therapies - http://www.ipt-forensics.com/ . The founders of the
institute, while somewhat controvercial, have amassed a lot of
information on this subject and in my experience are happy to share
it.

A couple of PDF documents from Michigan:

* A Model Child Abuse Protocol -
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/FIA-Pub794_13083_7.pdf

* Forensic Interviewing Protocol -
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/FIA-Pub779_13054_7.pdf