Forensic interviews with children: Exploring the richness of children's drawing and the richness of their testimony

The current study was designed in order to explore the richness of drawings created by children during their forensic interviews following incidents of suspected sexual abuse. The research also aimed to assess the association between the richness of the drawings and the richness of the testimonies children provided. A coding system for analyzing the richness of the drawings was developed and implemented in relation to 64 children's drawings. The study's main findings indicated that age was a contributing factor in the richness of the drawings and in the subsequent richness of the testimonies. In addition, the findings emphasized three core categories in the children's drawings, the richness of which correlated with the richness in their testimonies: people, action, and location. The current study sheds light on a possible explanation for the beneficial effects of the use of drawings in forensic interviews with children. The findings may have an impact on practical guidelines and future training in the field.