Forensic Interviewing

1. Forensic Interviewing Protecting Children from Neglect and Abuse

2. Planning the Interview • Purpose • Review all available information prior to the interview • Have a clear idea of what issues are to be discussed • Assess the condition and safety of the child • Determine the possible need for immediate protective intervention

3. Planning the Interview • Interviewing Separately or Together: • In cases of maltreatment: the child victim is interviewed first • Then the siblings • Then the non-offending parent • Finally, the perpetrating parent • In cases of sexual abuse: it is necessary to interview the parents separately • In cases of neglect: more advantages to interview the parents together

4. Planning the Interview • Children should never be interviewed in the presence of the alleged perpetrator. • Siblings should be interviewed separately. • If the interview is in the client’s home, neighbors or relatives may be present. • Parents should be consulted on the presence of others at the interview.

5. Planning the Interview • Age of Child: • Children under the age of 3 may not have sufficient language skills. • Between the ages of 4 – 7 children can reliably recount events that they have witnessed, but the questioner must be careful not to influence the child’s answers. • The interview needs to be conducted at the child’s developmental level paying special attention to attention span and special words for body parts and sexual terms.

6. Planning the Interview • Location: • The client’s home may provide a convenient and comfortable setting for the family. • Safety considerations, however, may indicate an office setting or a neutral meeting place such as a neighborhood center, for the interview. • Many initial interviews of children occur at the child’s school.

7. Planning the Interview • Multidisciplinary Interview Centers: • If there are allegations of sexual abuse or severe physical abuse it is recommended that children be interviewed in multidisciplinary centers. • This procedure will eliminate the need for children to undergo multiple interviews on the painful circumstances.

8. Establishing Rapport • Attempt to create an atmosphere of calmness and mutual respect as a background for the exploration of the interview topics. • Respect – communicated through the using of titles such as “Mr.” and “Mrs.” and explaining clearly the reason for the interview.

9. Establishing Rapport • Cultural considerations – Interviewers of the same ethnic/racial background as the person being interviewed may encounter fewer barriers to effective communication. • Understanding the meaning of nonverbal communication within the context of the interviewee’s culture will reduce the likelihood of misinterpreting behavior. • Non-English speakers should have an interviewer who can conduct the session in the interviewee’s own language. • Using a translator is a less desirable option.

10. Establishing Rapport • Handling Resistance – acknowledging the interviewee’s feelings may defuse the situation to some extent. • Angry clients: “I realize that my asking you these questions must make you angry.” • Passive clients: “I understand that it may be difficult to talk about such personal, private family matters.” • If possible give the client an opportunity to vent anger, fear, and frustration before proceeding with the investigative questions. • Ignoring hostility or fear will rarely make them disappear.

11. Establishing Rapport • Handling Resistance – when interviewing the child, it is important to communicate respect for the parents, even if they harmed the child. • Because of dependency and attachment to the parents, children may become resistance if the interviewer appears to be trying to recruit the child into a conspiracy against them. • Children need reassurance that they are not in trouble and that the abuse is not their fault. • Should they disclose, assure them that they did the right thing.

12. Types of Questions • Open-ended questions are more likely than other types of questions to elicit a full response from clients. • Open-ended and focused questions are preferable in forensic interviewing, because children’s answers a less likely to be influenced by the interviewer. • In multiple-choice and yes/no questions, the interviewer is providing information to the child that could influence his or her answers. • A child might select an answer in order to get the interview over with or for other reasons.

13. Types of Questions • With younger children, interviewers use drawings, dolls, puppets, and other props as a means of communication. • Anatomically correct dolls should not be used in an interview until after the child gives indication of sexual abuse and is able to verbalize some specific details of the victimization. • Anatomical drawings are useful with young children.