ABSTRACT
During the course of an investigation, it is appropriate for investigators to talk with the nonoffending caretaker(s) about any observed sexual behaviors in the victim. This would include any observed behaviors that existed before and after the alleged incident. Identifying any pre-and postincident behaviors may assist multi-disciplinary team members in making assessments of the victim and could help in pinpointing both the onset and the effect of the abuse. As noted in Chapter 2, this can be a difficult subject for parents and relatives to discuss with investigators. If the topic is not carefully framed for them, parents may well assume the questions are designed to either place some blame for the act on the victim or cast some shadow of concern over how the children were raised. Some behaviors are problematic and may be indicative of sexual abuse, and some are normal behaviors associated with a child’s development. It is important for an investigator to have a basic understanding of developmental stages and what age-appropriate sexual behavior looks like in children. It is equally important for the investigator to be able to convey this to the parent(s) and get an accurate assessment of any behaviors being exhibited by the child.
