Abstract
Special Testimony is a method of judicial hearing of children and adolescents in Brazil, usually accompanied by psychologists. The objective of the present study was to know the opinions of Brazilian psychologists who work with children’s testimony about this practice. A cross-sectional exploratory qualitative research was conducted using digital tools such as Skype and Whatsapp. A total of 10 Brazilian psychologists, from six different states, working with Special Testimony completed a socio-demographic questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. The interviews were analyzed according to the Thematic Analysis. Six themes were highlighted: professional role, interdisciplinary work, feelings, swiftness, protection, and legislation. Taken together, these themes indicate that the Special Testimony is swift and protective for children and adolescents victims of sexual violence, highlighting possible challenges to its implementation. The results obtained provided more knowledge about the Special Testimony and can be used in future revisions of this practice.
Keywords:
child abuse; sexual violence; child and adolescent defense; children’s testimony