No abstract

Formal training of child protective service (CPS) personnel in the investigatory interviewing of alleged sexually abused children is a relatively recent development in the field of child protection. It is necessarily embedded in the broader based training in knowledge domains, practice skills, attitudes, and values required for the wide range of responsibilities assigned to the CPS worker. In recent years, marked growth has occurred in the quality and quantity of sexual abuse training provided by departments of social services. There is, however, a still unmet need for rigorous evaluation of these newly developed components of training.