Jossey-Bass Publishers Description: The question raised in the title of this 373 page book is a basic and often ignored issue that is crucial to improving the way accusations of child abuse are handled by adults. The stated purpose "... is to help adults understand children as they seek information from and about them" (p. XV). This purpose is met for the most part. It is not necessary to be a developmental psychologist to read, understand, and benefit from the book. It is clear and readable for adults likely to be concerned with this issue. It gives responsible summaries of relevant research and relates the data to the practice of adults seeking information from and about children. A useful feature of the book is the insertion of italicized Practice Guideline statements to summarize and emphasize points and relate the research evidence to the real world. Each chapter contains several of these summary guidelines and suggestions for adults to consider. If they were followed by adults charged with communicating with children to obtain information, indeed, there would be a marked and significant improvement for everybody concerned. Although the authors clearly state they do not provide a cookbook, the danger may be that some will use selected Practice Guidelines as a cookbook formula without the understanding of children the authors repeatedly require to actually use their suggested guidelines properly. The book has fourteen chapters and an epilogue. After an
introduction of the issues, the chapters deal with children's self-esteem and
coping mechanisms, the way children think and understand their world, their
language, their fantasies, and the impact of culture. Adult expectations and
capacities, procedures, interviewing practices, assessment and evaluation
techniques, descriptions of therapy, and adult-child communication in the
medical environment, are reviewed and presented. The final chapter, 14,
evaluates children as witnesses in the legal system. Comments The book was written across approximately three years by an unusual process of consultation and review by the members of the Erickson Institute faculty and an informal advisory council. It is noteworthy that a good, readable, and successful book emerged from this process for often such collaborative efforts produce nothing or a lowest common denominator of mediocrity. Garbarino and Stott are to be commended for organizing a large number of people, designing and shepherding a complicated, cooperative process, and producing an end product that does what they set out to do. All the contributors who had a hand in this process are to be commended for their responsible behavior, their shared commitment to advance the interest of children, and their demonstrated ability to subordinate personal interests for a common, superordinate goal. The book stresses the necessity for flexibility and adaptability by adults. "It depends ..." is a phrase found repeatedly through the book. There are no single, unidimensional, or simple procedures that assure that adequate and reliable information is obtained from and about children. The capacities and realities of children must be carefully considered. Research data must be taken seriously and imposition onto children of myths and unsupported dogmas avoided. There is repeated warning about unrealistic adult confidence in adult-child communication that leads to overblown pronouncements by adults. An important and cogent final word in the Epilogue is "... it is not so much the child's lack of competence that creates problems but rather the adult's lack of competence in all too many situations" (p.317). The authors are willing to tackle potentially controversial topics and express responsible views that may not be popular but which are linked to considerations of research data. An example is the treatment of the use of allegedly anatomically correct dolls (p.192-195). In spite of their widespread use and acceptance in many courtrooms, the author's opinion is "Until further research on the suggestiveness of the dolls is complete caution should be used with dolls in judicial proceedings. ... Far too little is known about the effects of sexually detailed dolls to think of them as a validated instrument for either research or investigation, let alone as a test for the occurrence or nonoccurrence of sexual abuse" (p.195). While the reviews and summaries of research data are competent and clearly stated, there are a number of instances in which the personal values of the contributors and the commitment to a posture of strong child advocacy lead to opinions and suggestions that are not directly linked to the research evidence. An example is the view that admission of videotaped statements by children as evidence may lead to defense efforts to get all videotapes and use them as a basis to mount a hostile attack on children's statements. Therefore, a child's task is easier if there is no videotape made available to the defense but only courtroom testimony for the defense to use as basis for an attack (p.297). This is a good book. It should be read carefully by all professionals involved in dealing with any system in which information is sought from and about children. Some who read it may feel chastened and others may feel inadequate to the task. So be it. The authors cannot be faulted for their observations about adult incompetencies and their demand that adults who deal with children professionally must be well trained, knowledgeable, and competent people. There can be no gainsaying their strong opinion that this is required for the best interest and the welfare of children. Reviewed by Ralph Underwager, Institute for Psychological Therapies, Northfield, Minnesota 55057.
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