Interview with Abused ChildrenSince the dawn of time, children have been an integral part of our world. They are the pillars of our society, knowing that one day the future of global society will be in their hands. The rights of children have always been minimal compared to those of adults. For many centuries, people did not recognize that children could be victims of abuse at the hands of adults, just like adults. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the fight against child labor was in the spotlight, but it was rarely thought that children could be victims of physical or sexual abuse. Over time, the criminal justice system began to understand that children needed to be protected from physical and sexual abuse. Today, justice systems have clearly identified what child abuse is and have put measures in place to attempt to identify, prevent and treat abused children. Special teams are created for the sole purpose of investigating these crimes, because working with children requires a different protocol than adults. Interviewing children requires special care, as they are subject to more trauma than an adult would be, due to their mental development. The federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) of 2010 defines child abuse and neglect as: “Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or child "a guardian that results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation"; or "An act or failure to act that presents an imminent risk of serious harm." In Orange County, A child abuse case is initiated when a "mandated reporter" or individual reports suspected child abuse. Immediately, a social worker or law enforcement officer will respond......in the middle of the. sheet......also for the interviewer Sometimes they may be interviewing a child who is too young to understand what is going on, or a teenager who does not want to talk. They put a lot of effort into gaining the trust of. a child and must also comply with the justice system. They cannot show their emotions during interviews and they cannot conduct a leading interview. With all the protocol and bureaucracy, being able to get a child to open up is a difficult task. But it is thanks to them that law enforcement and prosecutors are able to apprehend and prosecute the perpetrators of these acts. Being an advocate at CAST is also a rewarding job. Having a child who has been abused is already very traumatic, but seeing them repeat the abuse to a stranger is even more frightening. CAST has done an incredible job trying to minimize the trauma a child could experience during the investigation process..