How to Interview a Crime Victim
Interviewing a crime victim is a sensitive and challenging task for anyone. Whether you are a reporter, police officer or service worker, it is important to understand the key guidelines necessary to effectively approach and interview a crime victim. Read more to learn how to gain the trust and respect of a crime victim in order to learn the events and circumstances that led to the crime.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Understand that you must help the victim cope with the trauma, shock and sense of instability that immediately follows a crime, regardless of its nature. Help the victim to regain a sense of control.
-
2
Introduce yourself. Provide the victim with your name, title, a brief explanation of your role, why you are present and what you hope to achieve.
-
-
3
Ask the victim how you should address him. Should you call him, "Mr. Doe," for example, or "John"? Ask him specifically how he would prefer you to address him during the course of the interview. Allow him to offer a response. Avoid saying, "Mr. Doe, can I call you John?"
-
4
Ask the victim about her medical needs. Encourage the victim to identify immediate medical needs so a medical professional can evaluate and respond to physical trauma as quickly as possible.
-
5
Gain the trust and respect of the victim. Acknowledge the victim's emotional state, help him to cope and feel safe, and answer questions about what will happen next. Be very specific about what the victim can expect from you and what can or will happen as a result of the interview.
-
6
Use a sympathetic voice to reassure the victim. Explain that the content of the interview will be private. Explain that he is safe.
-
7
Place yourself at the victim's level and ask him to explain the events leading up to the crime. Allow the victim to refresh his memory by explaining the events that led to the crime. This can be a simple sentence that places the victim at a specific place and time. Follow with details about the crime.
-
8
Ask the victim to tell you in her own words exactly what happened. Ask for specific information about the perpetrator, prompting her to cover such areas as his physical description, tone of voice, mannerisms or other details that seemed unusual or notable.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Be sure to ask the victim if he has any fears, questions or concerns about the interview or what will happen next.
Avoid standing above a victim; stand or sit at her level.
