ASU Research E-Magazine: Interview With a Child

The following is an excerpt of an interview Tascha Boychuk conducted with a 4-year-old Phoenix boy. The youngster witnessed his father beat his mother to death. The mother died of massive head injuries.

Boychuk
Well, I know your name is Tommy. How old are you?

Tommy
Four. I want those blocks.

Boychuk
Later we can play with the blocks. Right now, we’re going to sit and talk for a while. So you are four. You’re a big guy, aren’t you?

Tommy
Yeah. What we gonna talk about?

Boychuk
Tommy, what I do is talk to boys who saw something happen to their mommy. I heard something happened to your mommy. Tell me about your mommy.

Tommy
My daddy runned away. He left my mommy.

Boychuk
Your daddy ran away. How come?

Tommy
He hit her in the face and I cried.

Boychuk
Where were you when Daddy hit Mommy in the face?

Tommy
In the seat belt. He hit her with his hand like this...and then her had blood on her face. He smacked her hard.

Boychuk
He smacked her hard?

Tommy
Yeah. We was in my daddy’s truck and he drove away and I was crying.

Boychuk
Did Mommy say anything?

Tommy
Mommy said, “I’m sorry,” and her hair was messed up because he punched her like this! (Tommy punches his teddy bear in the head with his fist).—Amanda Kingsbury