How to Conduct a Forensic Interview

Forensic interviewing techniques are very similar to social work interviewing.

In instances of suspected child abuse, authorities will usually conduct a forensic interview with the child to determine the veracity of the allegations. This is generally done shortly after child protective services (CPS) opens a new investigation into a case of alleged child abuse or neglect. Ultimately, CPS hopes to produce some implicatory evidence that will hold up in a criminal trial, if it ever comes to that. The interviewer is often a CPS investigator or child welfare worker.

Instructions

1. Schedule the interview within 24 hours of the time the report was made, in a neutral, child-friendly private location. Remain objective throughout the interview. Be familiar with the case file and your agency's interviewing protocols before you enter the room.

2. Follow the basic elements of most forensic interviews: the introduction, building rapport, development assessment, interview guidelines, competency assessment, retelling of the incident under investigation, follow-up questions and clarification. It's particularly important to build a rapport with the child being interviewed by asking him questions about things he likes.

3. Try to cover all bases during the interview, as research shows that with each subsequent interview, testimony becomes less reliable. There is no single model or technique that works in every case. The most widely used interviewing models today are the Child Cognitive interview, Step-Wise interview and Narrative Elaboration (see Resources).

4. Document every detail of the interview and include it all in your post-interview report.

References

• Practice Notes: What Is Forensic Interviewing?
• Dale L. Koons's Child Abuse & Sexual Assault Investigation and Prevention Page: The Forensic Interview of Children

Resources

• Practice Notes: Conducting Forensic Interviews