Forensic Interviews
Why we track this indicator
Conducting trauma-informed interviews helps reduce the risk of children experiencing re-traumatization and is an important step in the legal investigation of abuse and neglect cases. Effective forensic interviews can also lead to children and families receiving services and supports that best meet their needs.
Forensic Interviews Data Breakdown
Status: Green
Definition: Average number of children reporting sexual abuse during the Child and Family Advocacy Center (CFAC) interview. These interviews are conducted by trained child forensic interviewer with expertise in a trauma-informed approach. This information is obtained through a collaborating partner.
Source: Child and Parent Services (CAPS)
Last Updated: July 2024
Mitigating Factors: None reported
Methodology
Methodology: The total number of CFAC interviews conducted in each month are added together.
Goal: To observe a decrease in total number of CFAC interviews compared to the previous quarter.
Traffic Light:
Green: more than 1 interview increase compared to the previous quarter
Gray: within +/- 1 interview compared to previous quarter
Red: less than 1 interview decrease compared to the previous quarter
Supporting Research
Child Maltreatment
The Children's Bureau develops the annual Child Maltreatment reports.
Child Maltreatment, Trauma, and Physical Health Outcomes: The Role of Abuse Type and Placement Moves on Health Conditions and Service Use for Youth in Foster Care
The purpose of the study was to investigate the relations between abuse types, non-maltreatment-related trauma, and health service utilization.
Forensic Interviewing: A Primer for Child Welfare Professionals
Forensic interviewing is a means of gathering information from a victim or witness for use in a legal setting.
Child Forensic Interviewing: Best Practices
The authors discuss the purpose of the child forensic interview.
Related Indicators
Click to see more data trends related to Forensic Interviews
Child and Parent Services (CAPS)
CAPS aims to support families to ensure that every child lives a life free from abuse and neglect. CAPS aspires to be a community where children are safe and families thrive.
Indicators in Action
The ‘Data Action Mini Grant’ program will provide low barrier grants to collaborating partners which will help increase cross-system collaboration and facilitate the community response to needs and/or gaps identified through the Elkhart County Child Dashboard. Applicants may request up to $2,000. Two or more applicants can collaborate for collaborative action based upon one or more data indicators and increase the grant request. By leveraging the ‘Data Action Mini Grant’ program partners can have a platform that helps to inform community goals and creates a stronger sustainability platform for their programs.
For a copy of the 1-page proposal template click here or email David Wiegner.