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Role play . Exploring and disclosure .
ROLE PLAY EXERCISE
Instructions :
• Work in pairs .
• One pretends to be the child and one act as the adult .
• If you are the adult , pick a situation from your work . Help the child to say what happened in that situation .
• Validate and support the child .
• Ask open questions .
• Practice active listening .
• Summarise .
After the exercise , share with your partner what it felt like to be the child , and what it felt like to be the adult . What worked ? What did not work ? What made you and the child feel comfortable in the conversation ?
KEY TO KNOW
Screening adverse experiences
Standardised questionnaires exist for screening potential trauma . Research shows that children will report more adverse experiences when they are asked directly . We have gathered some resources in the appendix See for example ISTSS ( 2014 ). Child and Adolescent Trauma Screen in the literature list )
3.12.4 The obligation to report and the duty to prevent
Child abuse is a serious criminal act . Therefore , be as precise as possible when you do your documentation . You have an obligation to report to and involve child protection services ( or other relevant services ) in your country . You also have the duty to prevent further criminal acts and report allegations of abuse to the police department . Make yourself aware of the laws in your country and consult your supervisor , leader , or other authorities in your community . Ensure that , when you document allegations , you are as precise and as detailed as possible .
If you do need to report an allegation , make sure that you inform the child and take steps to protect the child ’ s safety . Your role is not to investigate crime . Judicial investigation requires specific skills in working with children .