Clinical Assignment 2:
Victimization Interview & Clinical Summary.
For this assignment, you will interview someone regarding their experience with
victimization. Prior to conducting the interview, you must inform the participant that
you will be asking them questions about an experience in which they felt victimized.
This should be an experience that they feel comfortable sharing to both you and your
professor. Note: As you have learned throughout the semester being victimized can
take many forms. It does not have to be an extreme criminal form of victimization. It
can take the form of street harassment or feeling abused by a colleague or taken
advantage of by a family member or friend.
You will submit a typed transcript of your interview including date of interview,
questions asked and interviewee responses. Additionally, you will prepare a clinical
summary
Parameters:
• Find an individual who is willing to discuss their experience with victimization
with you and your professor.
• They must feel comfortable and safe retelling this event. We do want to
encourage someone to share an incident that is overwhelmingly upsetting and
could lead to secondary victimization.
Suggested Questions:
I. Beginning:
a. “Thank you so much for agreeing to share your experience with me. Prior
to getting into your experience with victimization. I’m wondering if I can
ask you some background questions about you as individuals”
i. Ask individuals about their family history
ii. Brief timeline of life experiences by asking them to walk you
through their experience through grade school to current day.
1. Indicate to them that time will not allow for you to get into a
many experiences they have had throughout their lifetime
but just for us to take a few moments to get to know them
better. (5-10 minutes maximum)
II. Transition to Victimization Experience
a. Can you share your experience …. with me?
b. Ask them to describe the context in which it occurred (on the street, at a
party).
III. Details:
a. While at times, it is important to understand all the details of what occurred it is not always necessary. Pay close attention to if you are understanding how the events unfolded and if not, ask yourself what is missing and is it necessary for me to understand what occurred and, more importantly, to understand how it impacted her.
i. If so, ask her to clarify by saying something to effect of: “I want to be sure I understand correctly….” Or “I’m a little unclear on how….
occurred, can you help me understand?”
ii. Lastly, ask yourself what could she be telling you by omitting these details? If safe,
b. Take particular note if they “jump around” when telling their story (i.e. they do not tell the story in a linear fashion).
IV. Impact
a. “What did it feel like to have a stranger say…. (use their words)?”
b. Pay attention to if they used “feeling” words or “thinking” words
c. Probe if necessary, “I could imagine you could have felt many different ways by going through that. Did you feel scared, angry or anxious? I’m wondering how it felt for you in that moment”
d. Explore the progression of emotions.
i. “How did you feel about the even the next day?”
ii. “Did you share this experience with anyone else?” If so, “what was
it like to retell your experience to someone else?”
e. You may choose to reflect back on earlier experiences or explore relationships that reemerge that they previously described in their history.
V. Closing
a. Thank them for sharing their experience with you.
b. Validate their reactions “It is very common to feel ….. after going
through….”
c. Offer additional support:
i. “If you ever want to talk to a therapist further about what you have
gone through I can provide you with resources/places that you can
go to”
VI. Resources:
a. Mount Sinai Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention
i. Manhattan
Tel: 212-423-2140
ii. Queens
Tel: 718-736-1288
b. North Brooklyn Coalition Against Family Violence
i. 718-302-4073
c. Additional Mental Health Resources in NYC
i. https://www.hitesite.org/Members/BasicSearch.aspx?cat=4
VII. Clinical Summary Report – may include the following elements:
a. Reason for Referral – Brief description of the reason for the interview
being conducted
b. Relevant Background History – demographic information and brief
summary of client history
c. Behavioral Observation – how the individual presented at the time of the
interview (appearance, demeanor, affect, body language etc.)
d. Assessment – evaluation of the information gathered and how it can be
situated within the knowledge we possess as a professional. In this
instance, you are analyzing the victimization experience of the individual
and their reaction by utilizing the research we explored throughout the
semesters.
i. For instance, if an individual describes an experience of street
harassment and they told their friends about the experience
afterwards.
You may indicate that they engaged in active coping
behaviors as described by Fairchild & Rudman (2008). Then go on
to the implications that active coping may have on the individual
long term.
ii. You may also decide to point out behaviors that weren’t observed
that we might have expected due to the knowledge gained from
the readings this semester.
e. Summary & Recommendations – you will briefly summarize your analysis
and offer potential implications on future clinical work.
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