3.6
We Care...
by responding to a disclosure of abuse
Minimal Facts Interview
If a child discloses to you information that could involve abuse, it is important to gather only as much information as is needed to report so that the local agency can begin an investigation. This is called a minimal facts interview.
The purpose of the minimal facts interview is to allow the person reporting to obtain the very basic facts concerning what happened to the child. Use short, simple questions that a child can easily answer, for example, who it was that hurt the child, when things happened, and did anyone else see them? A minimal facts interview may include the following questions:
Ask open-ended questions
Additionally, you may ask:
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TRY TO AVOID THESE
TOTALLY AVOID THESE
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Detailed follow-up questions, especially facts related to the details of the abuse, should NOT be asked during the minimal facts interview.