Dog Presence and Childrens' Stress During Forensic Interviews for Child Abuse

描述(由申请人提供)：这项研究的总体目标是测试一只受过专门训练的服务犬与因虐待儿童而接受法医面谈的儿童在场的效果，并确定儿童对有狗在场的看法。我们的目标是确定在采访过程中与狗在一起的儿童在多大程度上比暴露在通常实践标准下的儿童更少的恐惧和生理反应(通过皮温来衡量)。另一个目标是确定有狗在场是否有助于面试，从而减少第二次或第三次面试的需要。美国卫生与公众服务部报告称，2007年，超过350万儿童接受了儿童保护服务机构的虐待调查或评估(国土安全部，2009年)。大量儿童因虐待和起诉肇事者所需的法律程序而可能出现心理残疾，这突出表明有必要确定减轻儿童痛苦的干预措施。对于这些孩子来说，可能会有一个 双重危险效应，即儿童受到虐待，然后在接受对所指控罪行的调查时必须遭受额外的心理痛苦。一项为期两年的研究被提议使用两组随机重复测量设计对4-17岁的儿童进行研究，这些儿童正在接受密苏里州中部虐待儿童的法医访谈。治疗组在接受法医面谈之前将与一只训练有素的服务犬进行互动，并在面谈期间由狗陪同。我们将从奥扎克山麓儿童倡导中心招募参与者，并在该中心进行法医面谈的3个地点实施该协议。我们将收集所有参与者在基线、15分钟后(对照组)或与狗互动后立即(治疗组)以及法医面谈结束时的数据。这项研究的成果包括服务犬协议，以及参与研究的儿童可能获得的好处。该协议将提供给希望开始类似服务犬计划的调查人员和儿童倡导团体。我们希望密苏里州的项目将成为全美项目的典范。它将满足有受虐待儿童的家庭的需求，这些家庭将接受法医面谈。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The overall aim of the study is to test the effects of having a specially trained service dog present with children undergoing forensic interviews for child abuse and to ascertain the children's perception of having the dog present. The goal is to identify to what extent children who have the dog present with them during the interview have less fear and physiological reactivity (measured by skin temperature) than children exposed to the usual Standard of Practice. A further goal is to identify whether having the dog present facilitates the interview, lessening the need for second or third interviews. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services reported that in the year 2007, more than 3.5 million children underwent Child Protective Service investigations or assessments for abuse (DHHS, 2009). The large numbers of children experiencing potential psychological disability resulting from maltreatment and the legal processes necessary to prosecute perpetrators underscores the need to identify interventions to alleviate children's distress. For these children, there may be a double jeopardy effect in which the child is abused and then must suffer additional psychological distress while undergoing investigation into the alleged crime. A two-year study is proposed using a two-group randomized, repeated measures design in children ages 4-17 who are undergoing forensic interviews for child abuse in Mid-Missouri. The treatment group will interact with a trained service dog before undergoing the forensic interview and be accompanied by the dog during the interview. We will recruit participants from the Ozark Foothills Child Advocacy Center and implement the protocol in the 3 sites in which it conducts forensic interviews. We will collect data with all participants at baseline, 15 minutes later (control group) or immediately aftr interacting with the dog (treatment group), and when the forensic interview is finished. Deliverables from the study include the service dog protocol, and potential benefits to children who participate. The protocol will be made available to investigators and child advocacy groups that would like to begin a similar service dog program. We hope the Missouri program will be a model for programs throughout the U.S. It will meet a need among families with abused children who will experience forensic interviews.