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A subset of children referred due to suspected sexual abuse require more than one interview for professionals to reach an opinion about the veracity of allegations. The National Children's Advocacy Center's forensic evaluation model was designed for that specific group of children. The multisite study of the model reported here followed a 2-year pilot study. Professionals in 12 states adopted the model and collected data for 2 years on a total of 147 participants. In 44.5% of the cases, a credible disclosure was obtained, with 73% of these cases supported in the legal system. The forensic evaluation procedure yielded clear information to be used in child protection and prosecutory decisions in 64% of the cases (combining cases with credible disclosures and abuse unlikely findings). Finally, the study examined the effects of the length of the evaluation and of the case and child characteristics on evaluation outcomes.

This article describes an extended forensic evaluation model, designed and piloted at the National Children's Advocacy Center (NCAC). The design and rationale of the NCAC forensic evaluation model are described. Outcomes achieved by using the model for 2 years are documented. Also described is a multisite research project, which is currently under way, that involves more than 30 Children's Advocacy Centers across the United States. This project will further test the efficacy of the model and refine its practice.

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