Telma Sousa Almeida

About

Prof. Dr. Telma Sousa Almeida is an Assistant Professor at ISPA – Instituto Universitário and a Researcher at the William James Centre for Research. She holds a degree in Psychology, a master’s in Psychology of justice and Deviant Behaviour, and a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Cambridge. She also has postgraduate qualifications in Forensic Medicine and Forensic Psychological Assessment, amongst others. Her research focuses on the participation of vulnerable victims and witnesses in the justice system, with particular emphasis on how they are interviewed by professionals within the system. Her work has significantly enhanced to the understanding of eyewitness memory, especially in autistic children, and has contributed to the development of best practices in investigative interviewing. For over 15 years, she has contributed to numerous research teams dedicated to the study of child abuse, forensic and developmental psychology, juvenile delinquency, peace psychology and human rights. Her scientific output includes publications in prestigious academic journals, contributions to books, and presentations at national and international conferences. She currently leads the BEJUST project ("Breaking Barriers to Enhance Criminal Justice Interactions and Safeguards for ASD in Portugal"), funded by the La Caixa Foundation, which seeks to identify the challenges and barriers faced by professionals, as well as the gaps in the justice system’s interactions with neurodivergent individuals. This project promotes evidence-based solutions to create a more inclusive and effective justice system. Additionally, she supervises doctoral projects that focus on the interviewing of rape victims and young offenders. Her supervision contributes to the development of a comprehensive framework for training professionals in interview techniques, addressing the unique challenges of each context and promoting integrated, scientifically grounded, and ethically rigorous training strategies. Furthermore, she is an active participant in the COST Action Implemendez (CA22128), co-leading the "Investigation, Interviewing, Interrogation" Working Group. She collaborates with international experts to implement the Méndez Principles, advocating for the ethical treatment of vulnerable individuals within the legal system. She is working to promote the enhancement of investigative interviewing practices in Portugal and Europe and contributing to the ongoing reform of forensic methodologies. She also serves as Director of the Forensic Office at the Ispa Clinic, where she provides scientific supervision and conducts Forensic Psychological Assessments.

Work

Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada Centro de Investigacao

|

Assistant Professor

Portugal

→

Instituto Universitário de Ciências Psicológicas Sociais e da Vida

|

Forensic Psychological Assessment Expert

Portugal

→

Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada Centro de Investigação William James

|

Research Associate

Portugal

→

Universidade Católica Portuguesa

|

Invited Assistant Professor

Portugal

→

Universidade do Porto Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar

|

Invited lecturer: Forensic Psychology

Portugal

→

Portuguese National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences, I. P.

|

Researcher

Portugal

→

RAÍZ – Clínica Terapêutica e Consulta Psicológica de Esmoriz | Esmoriz Therapeutic Clinic and Psychological Counselling

|

Psychological counselling and intervention with children, adolescents and families

Portugal

→

Universidade Catolica Portuguesa Centro Regional do Porto

|

Researcher in the international Project ITACA - Interaction of different subjects Towards A Strategic Common Answer concerning juvenile gangs (JUST/2010/DAP3/AG/1370)

Portugal

→

Forensic Clinic and Research Centre (CICLIF)

|

Forensic Psychological Assessment and preparation of Forensic Psychological Assessment reports for the judicial authorities.

Portugal

→

Education

University of Cambridge

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
→
Ph.D

Instituto Universitário de Ciências Psicológicas Sociais e da Vida

Portugal
→
Post Graduate Diploma in Forensic Psychological Assessment

Universidade do Porto

Portugal
→
Post Graduate Diploma in Legal Medicine

Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Medicina

Portugal
→
Training on Forensic Interviewing (The NICHD Investigative Interview Protocol)

Universidade Católica Portuguesa

Portugal
→
Master of Science (MSc) Degree in Psychology - specialization in psychology of Justice and of deviant behavior

Universidade Católica Portuguesa

Portugal
→
Bachelor of Science (BSc) Degree in Psychology

Publications

Social and emotional competencies in Portuguese incarcerated males: psychometric properties of the SEC-Q questionnaire and their relation to health risk behaviors

Current Psychology

journal-article

Social and emotional competencies in Portuguese incarcerated males: psychometric properties of the SEC-Q questionnaire and their relation to health risk behaviors

Current Psychology

journal-article

The Narrative Coherence of Autistic Children’s Accounts of an Experienced Event in Response to Different Interviewer Prompts: A Longitudinal Study

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders

journal-article

Health Risk Behaviors: Prevention Priorities Among Male Inmates

journal-article

Social and Emotional Competencies in Male Inmates: Psychometric Properties of the SEC-Q Questionnaire and Their Relation to Health Risk Behaviors

journal-article

The narrative coherence of autistic childrens accounts of an experienced event in response to different interviewer prompts: A longitudinal study

journal-article

Perceptions of Portuguese parents about the acceptability of a multicomponent intervention targeted at behavioral inhibition during early childhood

Infant Mental Health Journal

journal-article

Loneliness and social functioning in adolescent peer victimization

2021 Virtual Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development (2021 SRCD).

conference-poster

Perceptions of Portuguese parents about the acceptability of a multicomponent intervention targeted at behavioral inhibition during early childhood

Infant Mental Health Journal

journal-article

Loneliness and Social Functioning in Adolescent Peer Victimization

Frontiers in Psychology

journal-article

Loneliness and Social Functioning in Adolescent Peer Victimization

Frontiers in Psychology

journal-article

Perceptions of Portuguese parents about the acceptability of a multicomponent intervention targeted at behavioral inhibition during early childhood

Infant Mental Health Journal

journal-article

Assessment of the Capacity to Testify: Contributions from Forensic Psychology (Avaliação da capacidade de testemunhar: contributos da Psicologia Forense)

Psicologia do Testemunho: Da investigação à prática

book-chapter

Perceptions of Portuguese families about the impact of participating in the turtle program (Perceções das famílias portuguesas acerca do impacto da participação no turtle program)

13º Congresso Nacional de Psicologia da Saúde Actas

book-chapter

Effects of delay on episodic memory retrieval by children with autism spectrum disorder

Applied Cognitive Psychology

journal-article

Effects of delay on episodic memory retrieval by children with autism spectrum disorder

Applied Cognitive Psychology

journal-article

Effects of delay on episodic memory retrieval by children with autism spectrum disorder

Applied Cognitive Psychology

journal-article

Effects of Delay, Question Type, and Socioemotional Support on Episodic Memory Retrieval by Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders

journal-article

Effects of Delay, Question Type, and Socioemotional Support on Episodic Memory Retrieval by Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders

journal-article

Effects of Delay, Question Type, and Socioemotional Support on Episodic Memory Retrieval by Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders

journal-article

The impact of Autism Spectrum Disorder on event memory and accuracy

Apollo - University of Cambridge Repository

dissertation-thesis

The impact of Autism Spectrum Disorder on event memory and accuracy

dissertation-thesis

Avaliação Psicológica em Contexto Forense ¿ Questões Gerais

Psicologia da Justiça e do Comportamento Desviante

book-chapter

Forensic Psychological Assessment - General Issues (Avaliação Psicológica em Contexto Forense - Questões gerais)

Psicologia da Justiça e do Comportamento Desviante

book-chapter

Forensic Psychological Assessment: general issues (Avaliação psicológica em contexto forense: questões gerais)

Psicologia da justiça e do comportamento desviante

book-chapter

Interviews of Children in a Portuguese Special Judicial Procedure

Behavioral Sciences & the Law

journal-article

Interviews of Children in a Portuguese Special Judicial Procedure

Behavioral Sciences and the Law

journal-article

Interviews of Children in a Portuguese Special Judicial Procedure

Behavioral Sciences & the Law

journal-article

Forensic Interviewing of Witnesses in Portugal

International developments and practices in investigative interviewing and interrogation

book-chapter

Forensic interviewing of witnesses in Portugal

International Developments and Practices in Investigative Interviewing and Interrogation: Volume 1: Victims and witnesses

book-chapter

Forensic Interviewing of Children in Portugal

International Developments and Practices in Investigative Interviewing and Interrogation

book-chapter

The Interview of Children in the Forensic Context (A Entrevista de Crianças no Contexto Forense)

Psicologia, Justiça e Ciências Forenses

book-chapter

Youth Gangs in Portugal: Practitioners’ Perspectives. Manuscript in preparation.

journal-article

A Entrevista de Crianças no Contexto Forense

Psicologia, Justiça e Ciências Forenses: Perspetivas Atuais

book-chapter

Gender Issues in Juvenile Gangs in Portugal: Perspectives of professionals who intervene in the phenomenon (Questões de género em gangues juvenis em Portugal: Perspetivas de atores que intervêm no fenómeno)

Violências e Delinquências juvenis femininas: género e (in)visibilidades sociais

book-chapter

Investigative Interviews with a Child Diagnosed with Autism: an Illustrative Case Study.

conference-paper

Questões de género em gangues juvenis em Portugal: Perspetivas de atores que intervêm no fenómeno.

Violências e Delinquências juvenis femininas: género e (in)visibilidades sociais

book-chapter

Repeated Interviews in the Portuguese Judicial System: a Case Study.

conference-paper

Portugal – National Analysis. Final report of the Project ITACA “Interaction of different subjects Towards A Strategic Common Answer concerning juvenile gangs” (JLS/2009-2010/DAP/AG/1370).

report

Implications of Judicial Intervention in Family and Childhood Matters: Analysis of Situations of Danger and Family Violence

Dias da Psicologia@Católica.Porto Symposium

conference-poster

Perspectives on Invasion in Western Europe

International Handbook of War, Torture, and Terrorism

book-chapter

Perspectives on Invasion in Western Europe

conference-paper

Perspectives on Invasion in Western Europe.

conference-paper

Views on National Security in South and Southeast Asia

International Handbook of War, Torture, and Terrorism

book-chapter

Views on National Security in South and Southeast Asia

International Handbook of War, Torture, and Terrorism

book-chapter

Perspectives on Invasion in Western Europe

International Handbook of War, Torture, and Terrorism

book-chapter

Portuguese citizens perspectives about State Violence: an analysis in light of the Moral Disengagement Theory

Dias da Psicologia@Católica.Porto Symposium

conference-poster

Portuguese citizens’ perspectives about State Violence: an analysis in light of the Moral Disengagement Theory.

conference-poster

Portuguese citizens Perpectives on State violence: an analysis in the light of the Moral Disengagement Theory (Perspectivas de cidadãos portugueses sobre violência de Estado : uma análise à luz da Teoria do Descomprometimento Moral)

Universidade Católica Portuguesa Faculdade de Educação e Psicologia; Boston University Department of Psychology

dissertation-thesis