18 June 1998

PHOTO OPPORTUNITY: Official opening on Sunday 21 June 6.30pm at the West Park Centre.

Experts face up to child abuse

Interviewing alleged victims of child abuse is a task that has received intense scrutiny in recent years. A five-day child forensic training clinic at the University of Dundee offers a unique opportunity for professionals to address this problem on a practical level.

Organised by the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC) in conjunction with the University of Dundee and the Scottish Police College, the clinic will be held at the University’s West Park Centre from 21-26 June.

Thirty delegates drawn from the medical, legal and social sectors of California, Michigan and Indiana (USA) and throughout Scotland will pool their expertise in this forty-hour intensive training programme designed to offer the specialised training required for child forensic interviewing.

Jim Ennis of the centre for child care and protection studies at the University of Dundee explains: ‘Most workshops and seminars on this subject consist of lectures which offer no opportunity to put new knowledge into practice. We hope to reverse this.’

The clinic will include a mock court with specialist attorneys and an interviewing practicum in which children will be interviewed within a supportive environment. Constructive feedback from these activities will be used to improve professional skills.

The Child Forensic Interview Training Clinic will be opened by the Depute Commandant of the Scottish Police College, Mr Charles Milne.

Contact: Jim Ennis (01382) 344849

Return to June Index

Return to Main Index