what type of questions should you ask a child if they are making a disclosure to you?

When a child is making a disclosure, the questions you ask should be open- ended, non-leading, and supportive to encourage the child to share information at their own pace and in their own words. The goal is to gather information without suggesting answers or pressuring the child. Here are key types of questions and approaches to use:

Types of Questions to Ask

• Open-ended prompts : Encourage the child to tell their story freely.
  • Examples:
    • "Tell me what happened."
    • "Can you tell me more about that?"
    • "What happened next?"
    • "Tell me everything about that."
    • "Who was there?"
    • "How did it happen?"
    • "Tell me about your relationship with [person]."
      These invite detailed responses without suggesting answers

• Clarifying questions (non-leading) : Used only to clarify or elaborate after the child has shared something.
  • Examples:
    • "What do you mean by that?"
    • "Tell me more about that."
    • "How did you feel when that happened?"
    • "What happened after that?"
      Avoid multiple questions in one sentence or questions that imply a specific answer

• Sensory focus questions : Help the child recall details by focusing on what they saw, heard, or felt.
  • Examples:
    • "Tell me everything you saw."
    • "Tell me everything you heard."
      These can aid memory without leading

What to Avoid

• Leading questions : Do not ask questions that imply an answer or suggest details.
  • For example, avoid: "Did he touch you here?" or "He did this to you, didn’t he?"
    Instead, ask open questions like "Tell me what happened" and follow with "Tell me more about that"

• Why questions : These can make the child feel blamed or defensive and should be avoided.
• Multiple questions at once : This can confuse the child and pressure them to answer quickly.

Additional Guidance

• Let the child talk at their own pace and use their own language.
• Show care and concern, listen attentively, and control your own expressions of shock or panic.
• Reassure the child that they did the right thing by telling you and that the abuse is not their fault.
• Be honest about confidentiality limits-explain you may need to tell someone who can help

• Take careful notes using the child's own words, noting date, time, and place.
• If you have independent evidence or prior disclosures, you can ask more focused questions but always follow with open-ended prompts to allow elaboration

In summary, use open-ended, non-suggestive questions that encourage the child to tell their story in their own words, avoid leading or multiple questions, and provide a supportive environment where the child feels safe and believed