ABSTRACT
The impact on the interpreter of working with children and young people can be considerable, and the pull to abandon or loosen boundaries harder to resist. Children and young people can quickly become attached to the interpreter in the absence of their own family and can often see the interpreter as a family member. The impact on the interpreter can be amplified if the child or young person is an unaccompanied asylum-seeking child without the presence of a parent or guardian or a trafficked young person at risk of further exploitation. Debriefing is essential, and often additional supervision is required to support the interpreter to maintain boundaries and resist the temptation to protect or parent a vulnerable young person. This tension may be amplified for interpreters who share a culture with the child or young person.
