| Description |
Statement Validity Assessment (SVA) is an instrument designed to quickly obtain information that will determine whether sexual abuse has occurred and assess the validity of the recorded statement about this abuse. Criteria-based content analysis (CBCA) is a component of this procedure used to distinguish a statement based on actual experience from one based on invention, fantasy, or suggestion. Using case examples and studies, this paper illustrates the problems that brought about the development of SVA. This instrument is described and past studies investigating its effectiveness are reviewed. Suggestions are made for more ecologically valid studies and more investigation of the relationship among SVA components, such as the CBCA and interview guidelines. In the second part of this paper, a detail analysis of actual statements of alleged sexual abuse is presented. Results revealed that doubtful statements contained more detail than confirmed statements prior to; SVA interviewer training, but doubtful statements contained less detail than confirmed statements following training. |
