Untangling child abuse cases

Research-based strategies guide children to answer honestly in a place designed just for them.

When Cheryl Ann Moroz was in high school, she attended a presentation about child abuse.

“I decided, sitting in that gym… that’s what I was going to do when I grew up: help save children,” Ms. Moroz says.

What she’s learned as a child forensic examiner with Geisinger’s Child Advocacy Center (CAC) in Sunbury, funded in part by community support and donations, is that her youthful dream was far more complicated than she imagined.

Today, Ms. Moroz couples her compassion with her love for research and evidence-based strategies and focuses on one key thing she can do to untangle knotted child abuse and neglect cases: Get to the truth, through the eyes of children. 

Planting pinwheels for child abuse awareness are Child Advocacy Center staff members Melissa Wagner, program director of child safety and advocacy; Cheryl Moroz, forensic interviewer; Cameran Gardner, victim advocate; Marita Lind, MD, medical director; and Alexis Smith, program coordinator.

A national network for kids

Geisinger’s CAC is one of many nationwide. The centers were built in the 1980s after many well-known abuse and neglect cases showed problems in the investigation system, especially how children were interviewed.

The centers aim to bring together all the main players in a child abuse and neglect case. Law enforcement officials. Caseworkers. Physicians. Therapists. Victim advocates. And people like Ms. Moroz, who are specially trained to interview children using tested techniques that are most likely to get honest, accurate answers.

The goal is to make the investigation process easier for children by providing them with a centralized location where they can tell their story, be examined by a trained physician and receive support. “It’s a beautiful model,” Ms. Moroz says.

At the Sunbury office, Ms. Moroz interviews between 500 and 600 children a year, mainly from counties in north-central Pennsylvania. She’s conducted over 6,000 interviews, including conversations with deaf and non-verbal children. And she’s always honing her skills. She points to a shelf of binders full of studies. “All of the things we do in an interview are based on research,” she says.

“We don’t play here.”

The CAC has brightly colored rooms with toys, and a therapy dog, Ollie, is available for cuddles. But the interview space — which features a two-way mirror so others involved in the investigation can observe — is deliberately spare. There’s a couch, a chair, a box of tissues and an easel Ms. Moroz uses to identify key figures in cases under investigation. 

“We don’t play here,” Ms. Moroz says, explaining she often hides the easel’s potentially distracting marker in her sleeve until it’s needed. “We’re here to have a developmentally appropriate conversation that’s designed to elicit a factual narrative.”

Ms. Moroz tells children they’re only going to discuss things that actually happened. And she lets them know they’re the experts. “It’s okay to correct me,” she says. “It’s okay to say, ‘I don’t know.’” Children also pledge to tell the truth, because research shows a promise leads to more honest answers.

Ms. Moroz also is careful not to react, no matter what children tell her. She never asks leading questions, which can elicit inaccurate answers.

Objectivity starts before she asks her first question. “I don’t believe every child has been abused,” she says. “In order to do this job correctly, you can’t.”

That’s because child abuse cases are complex. Well-meaning — or not so well-meaning — people may report abuse, but not every case is grounded in reality. And children can easily become confused or overwhelmed during an investigation. They may tell more than one story depending on the questions they’re asked, the way they’re phrased and who’s asking them. Sorting fact from fiction using a proven, research-backed system protects children and adults.

Finding teachable moments

Ms. Moroz’s job also takes her to the courtroom, where she educates people about how children may handle abuse and neglect. She says adults often think kids who’ve really been abused would report the situation right away. But that’s not necessarily the case.

“People who abuse kids want access to them,” she says. So, they gradually normalize abusive behavior. “Kids may not even know what’s happening.”

Children are treated with respect and honesty at the CAC. It’s a form of compassion that doesn’t place them in the role of victim. Instead, the approach helps position them to face a challenging situation as objectively, realistically and effectively as possible.

That doesn’t mean Ms. Moroz and her colleagues aren’t affected by the cases they see. At the end of the day, she relies on her Roman Catholic faith to help her cope.

“I guess the bottom line is right under my ribcage,” she says, pointing to a spot near her heart. “The Holy Spirit lives there. And he takes care of it. I don’t keep it with me.”

She clarifies, “It’s not that I don’t care. It’s just that I do my part — and I know that I can only do so much.”

And she’s committed to doing that to the best of her ability, in partnership with her trusted colleagues.

“I know we’re not going to eradicate all neglect,” she says. “But hopefully we can make a difference in people’s lives.”