AAC for Registered Intermediaries in Assisting Victims with Complex Communication Needs

Abstract

Individuals with disabilities are at high risk of being victims of sexual abuse, and those with complex communication needs (CCNs) are particularly vulnerable. It is, unfortunately, reported that victimization takes place more repeatedly among those with communication difficulties. Since they are deemed as voiceless in the society, they are less likely to report their victimization (Bryen et al., 2005). Victims with complex communication needs are those unable to have their daily needs met using their natural speech alone for communication (Beukelman & Mirenda, 2013). They need adaptive assistance for speaking and writing because their spoken and written communication is inadequate to meet all of their communication needs. In other words, they require augmentative alternative communication (AAC). Especially when it comes to having their voice in the justice process, AAC is essential. Currently, in Korea, the intermediary system is in effect for the sexual abuse victims with disabilities or children under 13 years old in their communication within the justice process. Registered intermediaries (RIs) are communication specialists certified by the Ministry of Justice who assist the vulnerable victims with making a statement in the investigation or testifying at the court. In this sense, it is the registered intermediaries who are most likely to be at the forefront of implementing AAC in the justice process. The major objective of this study is to identify the communication support needs of the victims with CCNs, to examine the barriers against applying AAC in the justice process, and to suggest future directions for AAC implementation from the registered intermediaries' perspective. The study took a qualitative approach involving semi-structured interviews with the 9 registered intermediaries who had at least one year experience as a full-time in the Sunflower Center, the support center for sexual crime victims. The participants were asked about the communication difficulties that crime victims with CCNs face when reporting a crime, and the AAC supports that may contribute to their telling and reporting. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed in their entirety by the researcher and a research assistant. A process of inductive, thematic analysis was used to eventually arrive at 4 themes and 11 suthemes. The four themes were as follows: communication difficulties that the victims with CCNs encounter, current use of AAC in the justice process, barriers against applying AAC in the justice process, and suggestions for AAC supports for the victims with CCNs. Regarding the communication difficulties within the justice process, the victims with CCNs had receptive and expressive language difficulties particularly in understanding open-ended questions and describing their victimization with adequate vocabularies during the investigative interviews. In order to meet these support needs, the registered intermediaries were already using some AAC tools, most of which were unaided ones such as gestures. When asked about the barriers against implementing aided AAC within the justice process, the participants pointed out the following issues: suggestibility, lack of preparation time for AAC, the uniqueness of communication within the justice process, and relevant professionals' lack of understanding of individuals with CCNs. Lastly, the participants made some suggestions to implement AAC for victims with CCNs: development of an objectivity-guaranteed AAC picture-based communication board and a standardized language assessment tool using AAC as well as provision of AAC training for individuals with CCNs.;본 연구에서는 진술조력인을 통해 AAC를 활용한 범죄 피해 의사소통장애인 진술 지원 실태 및 요구에 대해 알아보았다. 연구의 참여자는 상근 진술조력인으로 1년 이상 근무했던 경험이 있는 진술조력인 9명이다. 참여자는 목적표집 방법으로 선정하였고, 반구조화된 면담 질문을 개발하여 개별적으로 심층 면담을 진행하였다. 면담자료는 연속적 비교분석법에 의해 분석되었고, 참여자 검토를 통해 타당도를 확인하였다. 자료 분석 결과, 4개의 대주제와 11개의 하위주제가 도출되었다. 첫 번째 대주제인 범죄 피해 의사소통장애인이 가지는 의사소통의 어려움과 관련하여 피해자들은 조사관의 개방형 질문을 이해하기 어려워하는 등 수용언어에서 어려움이 있었고, 제한된 어휘능력으로 인해 언어를 표현하는 데에도 어려움이 있었다. 두 번째 대주제인 형사사법절차에서의 AAC 사용 현황과 관련하여 비도구적 AAC로는 제스처(몸짓), 수어를 사용하고 있었고, 도구적 AAC로는 그림 그리기, 인형, 감정 표현 카드, 사진 등을 사용하고 있었다. 세 번째 대주제인 형사사법절차에 AAC를 적용하는 데 있어서의 어려움과 관련하여서는 AAC 도구가 피암시성을 가질 수 있다는 점, 피해자에게 적합한 AAC 도구를 준비할 수 있는 시간이 충분하지 않다는 점, 조사상황의 특수성, 관련 전문가들의 의사소통장애인에 대한 인식 부족 등이 언급되었다. 네 번째 대주제인 AAC를 활용하여 범죄 피해 의사소통장애인들의 진술을 지원하기 위한 제안과 관련하여 진술조력인들은 객관성이 보장된 AAC 의사소통판의 개발, AAC를 활용한 언어 표현 및 이해능력 평가의 개발, 의사소통장애인들을 대상으로 한 AAC 훈련의 활성화 등을 제안하였다. 본 연구는 범죄 피해 의사소통장애인의 의사소통을 지원하는 진술조력인이 참여하여 AAC를 활용한 진술 지원 방안에 대해 고찰한 최초의 연구였다는 점에서 그 의의를 갖는다.