Brazilian Psychologist to Hold Lecture at UA on Child Welfare System

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Visiting international scholar Reginaldo Torres Alves Júnior will provide a firsthand look at the history of the child welfare system in Brazil during a lecture series April 18 in The University of Alabama’s Little Hall.

Alves, a doctoral student from the clinical and culture psychology program at the Universidade de Brasilia, Brazil, has been at The University of Alabama for a little more than a month. He’s studying how different teams – law enforcement, the health system, judiciary system and the protective system – could work together in order to better protect children from sexual abuse.

Additionally, he’s receiving advice for his dissertation project about forensic interviews with children suspected to be victims of sexual abuse.

The lecture begins at noon in room 104 in Little Hall, home of the UA School of Social Work.

“I’m going to talk about the history of the child welfare system in Brazil, since its early days in the 16th century, and how our history shapes the way the protective institutions in my country deal today with child sexual abuse,” Alves said. “In the seminar, people may have an appreciation of the cultural differences in the ways other societies dealt with children’s rights and the violations of their rights.”

Alves also is a psychologist working for the Child and Juvenile Court of Law, in Brasilia, Brazil.

“On the judiciary, we are responsible for evaluating cases of suspected child sexual abuse and report to the court our findings regarding the offense in order to apply civil measures, such as change of guard, foster care decisions, termination of parental Rights, obligation of parents to seek and comply with treatment and others,” Alves said.

Alves chose to come to The University of Alabama to work with Dr. Debra Nelson-Gardell, whose research has focused on forensic interviewing for the past 15 years. Alves chose to analyze his interview data at UA because of the chance to work with Nelson-Gardell and UA’s close proximity to the National Children’s Advocacy Center in Huntsville.

“Having the opportunity to work with a professional from another culture enriches my work and his, truly intellectually rewarding for both of us,” said Nelson-Gardell.