Today, the intrafamiliar sexual abuse of children is realized as one of the most significant threats to their well-being and safety. Intervening in this area demands an effort and a coordinated work among the professionals that participate during the judicial proceeding (Alberto 2006). Given the delicacy of the subject-matter, the forensic psychological evaluation becomes complex, requiring a special competence and sensitivity of the professionals who intervene in it, in order that it can be conclusive and we don´t fall into a secondary victimization process (Machado & Gonçalves, 2002). The present research aims to access the meanings and convictions that the children, victims of intrafamiliar sexual abuse, have got, not only about the moment of the forensic psychological assessment, but also about the forensic psychologist who makes it. Therefore, we tried to access the perceptions and meanings of this experience, conducting a qualitative interview to a sample constituted by 5 children aged between 10 and 12. The empiric data resulting from the narratives of the interviews were analysed through procedures of qualitative data handling and interpretation, on the basis of the Grounded Theory. The results show how the interviewees conceived the whole moment of the forensic psychological evaluation as a positive experience despite showing clearly an initial embarrassment when asked about their history of victimization, which was overcome in the course of the interview. It is also perceptible the relational comfort both towards the forensic psychologist who accompanied them and conducted the interview of psychological evaluation, and towards the premises where it took place. To finish we present the limitations of our study and suggestions for future investigations in what concerns children and young people at risk.
Date of Award | Oct 2011 |
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Original language | Portuguese |
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Awarding Institution | - Universidade Católica Portuguesa
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Supervisor | Catarina Ribeiro (Supervisor) |
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- Child sexual abuse
- Intrafamiliar sexual abuse
- Forensic psychological evaluation
A avaliação psicológica forense: quais os significados atribuídos pelas crianças vítimas de abuso sexual intrafamiliar
Sousa, R. S. T. D. (Student). Oct 2011
Student thesis: Master's Thesis