Chuprakova. [Child is the witness and the victim ones. Specificity of psychological support]

Abstract:
[Few people pay attention — at the time of the initiation of a criminal case — to the mental state of a child, acting at this moment as witness or victim ones. There is a confrontation between two positions and a clash of different goals and objectives. On the one hand, here are law enforcement structures, on the other hand, — are human rights. And a child, with his stressful state, is between them without appropriate help. We believe that for professional legal and psychological assistance to witnesses and victims, it is necessary to think over a system of preventive and rehabilitation measures for specialists. It is necessary to take into account the specifics of the work on providing legal and psychological assistance to adults and children in their status of a witness and victim, as well as to know the specifics of psychological support for children. The child cannot identify a problem and formulate a request. He cannot designate his condition. The most effective method of working with him is playing (diagnostics, therapy, dramatization, fairy tale therapy, etc.).]