OREM — When a child is sexually abused, the victim and his or her loved ones experience trauma, according to experts from the Children’s Justice Center.

Three representatives from the Utah County Children’s Justice Center spoke at a recent seminar on child abuse and sexual assault hosted by Utah Valley University. They provided insight into how potential child abuse cases are investigated, as well as how the center aims to make the sensitive process as comfortable as possible.

There are currently 17 children’s justice centers throughout the state of Utah, plus five satellite offices, according to Utah County clinical coordinator Laurie Elkins. She said two of the locations are new.

“The need is greater than it ever has been before,” she said. "The problems and the depths of the problems that come in with our families go deeper and are more far-reaching."

The centers were designed to be home-like locations where interviews with police and other professionals can take place, in addition to treatment services. Children are given the opportunity to choose which room the interview will take place, and whether they would like to speak with police or someone from the Department of Child and Family Services.

In most cases, there isn’t any medical evidence of the abuse that occurred, so investigators have to rely on forensic interviews, according to forensic interviewer Chelsea Smith. She said the process starts with simply getting to know the child’s likes and dislikes, developmental level and other background information, like how the disclosure of abuse came out.

She said they also have to learn what the child calls his or her private parts. As an aside, Smith noted that it is important for parents to teach their children the anatomically correct names for their body parts as a tool to help prevent sexual abuse.

“If we use different names for things, it can make them more ashamed of it,” she said.

Before the child comes into the center with his or her parents or legal guardian, investigators will formulate an interview strategy. During the process, Smith said it is important to keep an open mind because sometimes the allegations are based on a misunderstanding.

The interview starts with instructions that are designed to increase the child’s accuracy and decrease the child’s inclination to guess, including telling the child it is important to tell the truth and that he or she can correct the interviewer because the interviewer doesn’t know what happened.

The first questions revolve around the child’s hobbies and other lighthearted topics so he or she will feel more comfortable talking to the interviewer. The narratives also allow the interviewer to see what types of questions work well for the child and give clues about his or her body language.

From there, the interviewer will move into the abuse scenario narrative and ask for the child to tell them why he or she is there. Smith said they take on one event and then take a break, so the interviewer can talk to his or her counterparts in another room to see if there are additional questions that should be asked.

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“A lot of time the child can’t give specific dates… but if they can go step by step through what happened that lends a lot more credibility and makes it a lot more strong of a disclosure from this child,” she said. “This is what we’re doing with these forensic interviews, helping the child be able to tell their story and be able to provide all of the information to us so we can have as much information (as possible) to have a case.”

The interaction typically closes with the interviewer thanking the child. Before a child returns to their guardian, he or she get to choose a teddy bear to take home.

The CJC also offers group therapy sessions for children ages 3-12 and teenage girls in junior high and high school. There is also a therapy session for parents so they can express their feelings and understand their children’s behaviors.

“The (groups) are different because we all process differently,” said treatment coordinator Kristine Kokol. “Children process through play… teen groups process through talking.”

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