Young witnesses’ well-being During Forensic Interviewing

Abstract

Well-being is a multidimensional construct (e.g., Diener 2009; Dodge et al. 2012) which mainly describes the quality of one's life and involves one's ability to exhibit optimal psychological functioning (Deci and Ryan 2006). According to the Government Office for Science Foresight Report on Mental Capital and Well-being (2008), well-being is a dynamic concept which involves an individual's ability to fulfill their personal and social goals and achieve a sense of contributing to society (Statham and Chase 2010). This definition implies that well-being is subjective, suggesting that each individual can evaluate for her/himself the degree to which their experiences involve a sense of wellness or not (Deci and Ryan 2006). Research on the definition of well-being has traditionally been linked with two theoretical views. The eudaimonic view posits that well-being involves quality of life and satisfaction with one's life (Deci and Ryan 2006). According to the hedonistic view, well-being involves happiness, which is defined as the presence of positive affect and the absence of negative affect (Dodge et al. 2012). Looking at well-being from children's perspectives, one needs to consider two dimensions: a developmental dimension and a child's rights dimension (Pollard and Lee 2003). The first comprises aspects which involve poverty, neglect, and physical illness (Statham and Chase 2010). The second encompasses factors which involve maintaining children's quality of life in the present as well as the future and finding ways to support their aspirations and goals (Statham and Chase 2010). In this chapter, children's well-being will center around this second domain, and more specifically, safeguarding their psychological well-being during legal processes and creating the best possible environment for them to feel safe and secure in order to be able to provide accurate testimonies.