Examining Professional Perceptions and Use of Remote Testimony in a Child and Youth Advocacy Centre: A Convergent Mixed Methods Study
摘要
Providing testimony in criminal legal proceedings can be traumatizing for child and youth victims of abuse. Use of testimonial aids, including remote testimony, is one approach to mitigate trauma. Child and Youth Advocacy Centres (CYACs) are a collaborative, cross-sectoral response to child abuse allegations. Recently, CYACs have started implementing remote testimony as part of trauma-informed court supports. There is limited evidence currently available on professional perceptions and use of remote testimony. This study used a convergent mixed methods design to examine implementation of remote testimony at an urban CYAC in Canada. We conducted a survey with professionals who had made a remote testimony request to explore professional perceptions of remote testimony in the CYAC setting, and calculated descriptive statistics from administrative data on remote testimony requests to examine how professional perceptions aligned with remote testimony use. Results from the survey and administrative data were converged by mapping findings onto implementation domains in the interpretation phase. Overall, remote testimony was found to be an acceptable, appropriate, and feasible support in the CYAC context. Considerations for implementation, including perceived technology barriers, use with adults, and the role of multidisciplinary partners, are discussed. Future research that examines remote testimony implementation in multiple sites and with professionals who have not made remote testimony requests is needed to further enhance the understanding of remote testimony as a testimonial aid in child abuse cases.