THE COMPLEXITIES OF ELICITING AND ASSESSING CHILDRENS STATEMENTS

The authors agree with the main elements of M. Bruck and S. J. Ceci's (1993/1995) amicus curiae brief for the case of State v. Michaels, but they believe that 4 specific aspects of child sexual abuse investigat ions deserve a more constructive emphasis. Research has tended to conc entrate on the suggestibility of children and neglected other topics t hat may be of great utility to those who investigate suspected cases o f child sexual abuse. More attention should have been paid in the brie f to the complexities of assessment and the special characteristics of the Wee Care case. Too much emphasis has been placed on children and not nearly enough attention on remedial actions to minimize the proble ms associated with suggestion. Finally, research shows that it may be possible to develop reliable and valid techniques to assess child sexu al abuse allegations.