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21 APRIL 2008
NO 1288
Children's views
Identifying and comprehending the wishes and feelings of children could effectively be considered a basic process of the applied child psychologist's work. For those professional psychologists working with children and young people in statutory contexts, it can be assumed that they have always had a duty to assess the child's views of their circumstances. Moreover, as Davie (1993) has predicted, `the signs point clearly to an increasing likelihood of psychologists being used much more frequently in child care and family law cases. The reason for this trend is that the law – even the criminal justice system – is becoming discernibly more child centred' (p.52).
The most useful psychological perspective which can be constructed here is one which amalgamates ideas from psychologists – researchers and clinicians – whose work, in collaboration with others from different disciplines, is directed at enhancing the skills of a range of professionals who actively seek the views of children – whether they are pupils, patients, witnesses or suspects. Specifically, this will relate to the following three topics:
(i) children as witnesses (i.e. their
reliability);
(ii) interviewing children for legal reasons (i.e. maximizing the
perspective of children);
(iii) emotional trauma and children's memory (i.e. how remembering is
affected by the experience of traumatic events).
Together, these factors form a theoretical, and a practice-based, psychological perspective the content of which could be variously implemented by a range of professionals who have a statutory responsibility for ascertaining the wishes and feelings of children.
Applied psychologists, and other professionals, involved in statutory work need generally to understand the nature of children's memory, behaviour and development, in a manner made obvious because of recent changes in legislation, research in applied psychology, current controversies about repressed memories, and increased numbers of reported allegations of child sexual abuse based on recovered memories. Aspects of children's memory are considered here as a central feature of the psychological perspective which, when modified to suit their own particular work settings, different professional groups can utilize when attempting to obtain and examine children's views.
NEIL HALL
Hall, N. (1996). Eliciting children's views: The contribution of psychologists. In Davie, E., Upton, G. and Varma, V. (Eds.) The Voice of the Child: A Handbook for Professionals. London. The Falmer Press. pp. 61-62.
REFERENCE
Davie, R. (1993). The psychologist as expert witness in children's cases. Family Law, February. pp.52-53.
