Trauma-Informed Policing
Practical, Evidence-Based Strategies for Sexual Assault & Child Sexual Abuse Investigations
Written by former INTERPOL Head of Crimes Against Children Robert Shilling after more than 36 years investigating sexual assault and child abuse.
Det. Robert Shilling
Robert Shilling spent 36 years with the Seattle Police Department, including 26 years investigating sexual assault and child abuse, before leading INTERPOL's Crimes Against Children program. His investigative methods have been recognized internationally and continue to help investigators build stronger cases and improve outcomes for victims.
✓ Trauma-Informed Investigations
✓ Victim Interview Techniques
✓ Child Sexual Abuse Investigations
✓ Sexual Assault Investigations
✓ Online Child Exploitation
✓ Courtroom-Tested Strategies
Trusted by law enforcement, prosecutors, child advocacy professionals, and multidisciplinary teams committed to better outcomes for victims.
Every day, investigators are asked to handle some of the most difficult and emotionally complex cases in law enforcement, often with little specialized training. Trauma-Informed Policing bridges that gap with practical, evidence-based guidance drawn from more than three decades of investigative experience, from the Seattle Police Department to leading INTERPOL's Crimes Against Children program.
"This is not theory. These are the investigative strategies that identified victims, strengthened cases, and helped bring offenders to justice."
Every page is written from real investigations, real victims, and real cases.
BOOK DETAILS
- Hardcover
- 370 Pages
- Evidence-Based & Experience-Driven
WHO THIS BOOK IS FOR
- Investigators
- Child Advocacy Professionals
- Prosecutors
- Forensic Interviewers
- Child Protective Services
- Mental Health Professionals
- Military CID
- College investigators
Every victim deserves an investigator who understands trauma, recognizes offender behavior, and has the practical skills to build the strongest possible case.
Trauma-Informed Policing was written to help investigators achieve that standard.
WHY YOU CAN TRUST THIS BOOK
When you're investigating crimes that change lives forever, the source of your training matters. This book was written by an investigator whose work has been recognized by law enforcement, the judiciary, governments, and international organizations dedicated to protecting children and pursuing justice.
Experience That Shapes Every Chapter
36 YEARS OF INVESTIGATION
Dedicated more than three decades to investigating sexual assault and child sexual abuse with the Seattle Police Department.
FORMER HEAD OF CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN
Led INTERPOL's Crimes Against Children program, coordinating international efforts to identify victims and pursue offenders across national borders.
THOUSANDS OF INVESTIGATIONS
Worked alongside investigators, prosecutors, child advocacy centers, forensic interviewers, and multidisciplinary teams on some of the world's most complex investigations.
COURTROOM TESTED
Investigative techniques refined through real investigations, real victims, and testimony in criminal court, not classroom theory.
TRAINING LAW ENFORCEMENT WORLDWIDE
Has instructed investigators and professionals throughout the United States and internationally on trauma-informed investigations and victim-centered interviewing.
INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF JURISTS
Recipient of the 2014 International Council of Jurists Award recognizing outstanding contributions to justice. The only law enforcement officer to ever receive this award.
WIRED COP AWARD
Honored at Facebook Headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, for advancing global child protection through technology and international collaboration.
ATSA DISTINGUISHED CONTRIBUTION AWARD
Recognized by the Association for the Treatment and Prevention of Sexual Abuse for significant contributions to protecting children and advancing the field.
DALLAS CHILDREN'S ADVOCACY CENTER
Recipient of the organization's inaugural Champion Award for a lifetime of service to child protection.
TRUSTED BY PROFESSIONALS
The investigative methods presented throughout this book are used by law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, child advocacy professionals, forensic interviewers, and multidisciplinary teams committed to better outcomes for victims.
This book is evidence-based. It was not written just from theory. It was written from a career spent investigating crimes, identifying victims, training professionals, and pursuing justice for children and survivors around the world.
What You'll Take to Your Next Investigation
Better Interviews
Learn trauma-informed interviewing techniques that improve victim cooperation, strengthen evidence, and produce more accurate, defensible statements.
Stronger Investigations
Build stronger investigations using proven strategies developed through decades of sexual assault and child abuse investigations.
Courtroom-Tested
Apply courtroom-tested investigative methods that withstand scrutiny and help prosecutors present stronger cases.
A Message from Bob
I didn't write this book because the profession needed another textbook. I wrote it because I spent 36 years investigating sexual assault and child abuse cases, and I watched dedicated investigators tackle one of the most difficult assignments in law enforcement, often without the practical, experience-based guidance they deserved.
Every victim deserves an investigator who understands trauma, recognizes offender behavior, and knows how to build a strong case. My hope is that the lessons in this book help you conduct stronger investigations, better serve victims, and go home knowing you gave every victim the investigation they deserve.
If this book helps you conduct stronger investigations, better serve victims, and gives you greater confidence handling these difficult cases, then every hour I spent writing it was worth it.
— Robert Shilling
The Bob Shilling Standard
Victims First
Every victim deserves to be heard with respect, treated with dignity, and never reduced to just another statistic.
Evidence Before Assumptions
Never decide what happened before the evidence tells you.
Trauma-Informed
Trauma changes memory, behavior, and disclosure. Good investigators understand the difference.
Courtroom-Tested
These methods were developed through real investigations and proven in court.
Never Stop Learning
The day you stop learning is the day your investigations stop improving.
Excellence Is a Responsibility
Every victim deserves your very best work, as if they were your own mother or sister.