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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2025 May 1.
Published in final edited form as: Acad Pediatr. 2023 Nov 14;24(4):562–569. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2023.11.013

Table 4.

History-Taking Phases

Phase Definition
Instructions Explain the purpose of the evaluation and the child’s role.
Rapport-building Put the child at ease and encourage them to provide narrative responses.
Assessment Assess whether the child describes abuse.
Eliciting details If a child reports abuse, elicit limited details.
Closure Remind the child of concern for safety, answer questions, and provide reassurance.