ADVANCES IN FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY WITH CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS 

Abstract

Forensic psychology is a field in continuous expansion at both the practical and investigative levels. Within this field, work related to children and adolescents is particularly important as one of the most vulnerable groups. Among others, child sexual abuse is one of the problems that has had the greatest impact in recent years. Although this is not a new problem, it is certainly gaining in visibility. The first work of this roundtable addresses the problem of child sexual abuse by providing data on the vital prevalence of this type of abuse. One of the main problems associated with child sexual abuse is precisely to be able to prove that the situation reported can be a fact experienced by the child or if it can be invented or suggested. The second paper will present a case study assessing the credibility of the testimony of continued child sexual abuse. This case is particularly relevant because, in addition to the child’s statement, we have other objective evidence of abuse (DNA). Another important aspect within the field of witness psychology is the assessment of the knowledge that a witness may have about criminal acts, where the use of objective measures such as the physiological response or the rate of response choice is gaining importance. The third paper of this monographic table presents data from a study with young university students applying psychophysiological techniques (skin conductance and breathing) and the rate of response choice, to assess the knowledge that the witness has about a specific fact. Within the study of the personality, the study of the triad formed by Machiavellianism, narcissism and psychopathy, known as the dark brought of the personality, has gained some relevance. It has been proposed that these personality traits may be related to the onset of psychopathological disorders in emerging adults. The fourth paper presents data from a study with young people, based on analysis of latent variable models. The results of this work have linked the dark triad and more specifically the psychopathy component with the appearance of emotional and peer relations problems. Overall, the results that are going to be presented at this monographic table represent an important advance in the study of forensic psychology with children and adolescents, providing data on the main techniques used and presenting new evaluation techniques to the forum that are proven to be effective in experimental studies.

1- Update of data on the vital prevalence of child sexual abuse in Spain.
2- Credibility assessment of child sexual abuse testimony: a case confirmed by DNA testing.
3- Physiological, psychological and behavioural memory fingerprint correlates using CBT and EFT.
4- The dark side of personality and its relationship with psychopathology.

David Pineda Sánchez holds a PhD in Health Psychology from the National Distance Education University (UNED), a Master’s Degree in Psychopathology and Health, and a Master’s Degree in Psychological Research, both from the same university. He also holds a Master’s Degree in Forensic Psychology from ISEP, and an Inter-University Master’s Degree in Methodology of Behavioral and Health Sciences from UNED, the Autonomous University of Madrid and the Complutense University of Madrid. He is currently a researcher at the UNED and professor of the following subjects: Psychopathology, Forensic Psychopathology, Introduction to Data Analysis and Research Design and Data Analysis. He is also a professor in several postgraduate courses such as: Child abuse: Clinical Aspects, Prevention and Treatment and the Master in Psychopathology and Clinical and Health Intervention offered by the UNED or the University Expert Course in Legal and Forensic Psychology at the Miguel Hernández University. He is a member of the consolidated research group in Psychopathology and Health of the UNED and assistant editor of the Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Psychology.