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Developmental differences in the function and use of anatomical dolls during interviews with alleged sexual abuse victims.

Thierry KL, Lamb ME, Orbach Y, Pipe ME

Department of Psychology, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, USA.

The impact of anatomical dolls on reports provided by 3- to 12-year-old alleged sexual abuse victims (N = 178) was examined. Children produced as many details in response to open-ended invitations with and without the dolls. In response to directive questions, the 3- to 6-year-olds were more likely to re-enact behaviorally than to report verbally, whereas the 7- to 12-year-olds produced more verbal details than enactments when using the dolls. With the dolls, the younger children were more likely than the older children to play suggestively and to contradict details provided without the dolls, whereas the older children were more likely to provide details that were consistent. Children in both age groups produced proportionally more fantastic details with the dolls than without the dolls.

Published 5 January 2006 in J Consult Clin Psychol, 73(6): 1125-34.
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