1 / 16

Child Forensic Interview

Child Forensic Interview. Margrét Kristín Magnúsdóttir Psychologist and Forensic Interviewer 31. maí 2012. Barnahús – The Children´s House · www.bvs.is.

elias
Download Presentation

Child Forensic Interview

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Child Forensic Interview • Margrét Kristín Magnúsdóttir • Psychologist and Forensic Interviewer • 31. maí 2012 Barnahús – The Children´s House · www.bvs.is

  2. What is a Child Forensic Interview ?Forensic interview is a formal, structured interview technique, that is used to investigate whether a child has experienced or witnessed physical or sexual abuse and if so, to get disclosure. 2 Barnahús – The Children´s House · www.bvs.is

  3. If a child discloses ...... assist the child in providing sufficient narrative detailed information: - on the nature and extend of the abuse, including those responsible- sufficient details of the event to allow the CPS or the LE to takeappropriate action 3 Barnahús – The Children´s House · www.bvs.is

  4. The goal of the child forensic interview to get maximum informationwhile causing minimum stress and contamination Barnahús – The Children´s House · www.bvs.is

  5. Child Forensic Interview • The importance of a “child friendly” settings • Specially designed interview room • The specialized interviewer: a psychologist or a similar education • NICHD protocol Barnahús – The Children´s House · www.bvs.is

  6. Forensic vs. Therapeutic Interviewing • expression of emotions in a nurturing environment • advocate who assumes the child is telling the truth • subjective interpretations accepted • nonspecific accounts of abuse are sufficient • the credibility of the child is not questioned • how information is obtained is not of concern • the goal is discovering the truth, the facts • objective standpoint • alternative explanations are explored • obtaining corroborating details is imperative • establishing the child’s competency is a concern • the way information is acquired is strictly governed Barnahús – The Children´s House · www.bvs.is

  7. Interview Stages • Introduction • Rapport: • - developmental assessment • - competence assessment • - ground rules • Transitioning to a topic of concern • Detail gathering and corroboration one event at a time • Closure Barnahús – The Children´s House · www.bvs.is

  8. Introduction • Interviewer introduce him-/herself and people present • Explain the documentation (video/dvd recorded, notes taking) • Have child introduce him-/herself; name, age, where they live, with whom, school, grade, friend .. • Practice narrative 8 Barnahús – The Children´s House · www.bvs.is

  9. Rapport building • Developmental assessment • - age dependent (time, date, soft/hard, smaller/bigger) • - body parts inventory • Competence assessment • - difference between truth and lie • Ground rules • - if I ask you the same question more than once • - if you don’t know the answer • - if you don’t understand the question • - correct me if I’m wrong Barnahús – The Children´s House · www.bvs.is

  10. Transitioning to the topic of concern • “Tell me why you are here today talking to me ?” • open-ended invitation • use the child words • followed by focused follow-up questions • “ ... tell me all about that” • “ ... tell me everything about that from the beginning to the end” Barnahús – The Children´s House · www.bvs.is

  11. Gather details and corroboration • “did (this) happen one time or more than one time ?” • focus on one event at a time (last, first, most memorable, worst, etc.) • who, what, where, how, ... when (young children can’t answer that) • five senses • what was said • how it started, how it ended .................. Barnahús – The Children´s House · www.bvs.is

  12. Corroboration • computers • cameras • phones • force or coercion • bribes • clothing • other things from the child’s narrative 12 Barnahús – The Children´s House · www.bvs.is

  13. Once you have details on individual events ... • be sure to clarify details between different events • ask any follow up questions necessary for you to understand what happened • ask the child if there is something you forgot to ask or something else they want to talk about • transition to closure Barnahús – The Children´s House · www.bvs.is

  14. Closure • maintain trust and rapport with the child • neutral topic (cool down) Barnahús – The Children´s House · www.bvs.is

  15. What makes a good interview Does the interviewer put the child at ease ? Warm and friendly presence Strong presence that shows „you can tell me anything and I can handle it“ „tell me …“ vs. „can you tell me …“ „everything“ vs. „a little bit“ Gentle persistence – knowing when to push as well as knowing when to stop Pacing – allowing for silences Use of developmentally appropriate language Barnahús – The Children´s House · www.bvs.is

  16. There is no such thing as a perfect interview! • Thank you  • MargrétKristínMagnúsdóttir • Psychologist and Forensic Interviewer Barnahús – The Children´s House · www.bvs.is

More Related