THE ART OF INTERVIEWING CHILDREN. 24 th APSAC Colloquium New Orleans, LA June 23, 2016

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "THE ART OF INTERVIEWING CHILDREN. 24 th APSAC Colloquium New Orleans, LA June 23, 2016"

Megan Cross
7 years ago
Views:

1 THE ART OF INTERVIEWING CHILDREN 24 th APSAC Colloquium New Orleans, LA June 23, 2016 Scott Snider, LCSW Julie Kenniston, MSW LISW

2 Workshop Outline Overview of interview history and its influence on current interview practice Examples of improving interviews through the combination of Art and Science

3 History of CSA Assessment (adapted from Everson) Time Major theme Recognition then denial of CSA Freud recognized then denied CSA s existence 1975 Psychiatry textbook estimated prevalence of incest at 1:1 million or %

4 History of CSA Assessment (adapted from Everson) Time period Major theme rediscovery of abuse CA reporting laws in every state by end of 1960 s Era of civil rights and women s equality 1974 Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act

5 History of CSA Assessment (adapted from Everson) Time period 1980-early 1990 s Major theme Era of Sensitivity Reaction to decades of denied existence of CA Fundamental assumptions: CSA is pervasive Children are emotional fragile due to abuse Interviewer suggestibility is less dangerous than perpetrator coercion

6 Era of Sensitivity (adapted from Everson) Practice implications: Clinically-focused interviews often performed by therapists in early days of CSA assessment Use of dolls, drawings More concern for False Negatives

7 History of CSA Assessment (adapted from Everson) Time period Early to mid-1990 s Major theme Paradigm Shift Backlash from highly publicized discredited cases Research arguing children were unreliable and suggestible Example: Jeopardy in the Courtroom (1995)

8 History of CSA Assessment (adapted from Everson) Time period mid-1990 s-early 2000 s Major theme Era of Specificity Fundamental assumptions: - Children will tell if asked - Interviewer suggestion is dangerous - Emphasize concern for False Positives

9 Era of Specificity (adapted from Everson) Practice implications: Strict limitations on suggestive techniques Restrictions on dolls, drawings Highly structured interview protocols

10 History of CSA Assessment (adapted from Everson) Time period early 2000 s -present Major theme Move to Balanced approach Fundamental assumptions: - Balanced concern for under-calling AND over-calling - Move towards child-centered, flexible interview protocols

11 History of CSA Assessment (adapted from Everson) Time period Major Recognition + denial of CSA rediscovery of abuse 1980-early 1990 s Era of Sensitivity Early to mid-1990 s Paradigm Shift mid-1990 s-early 2000 s Era of Specificity early 2000 s-present Balanced approach

12 What we re saying: Learning and implementing the art of interviewing children can and should be used regardless of child interview protocols to improve: The child s experience within the interview The information obtained from the child The overall case/family/child outcomes

13 What we re NOT saying: A disclaimer Interviewers are NOT instructed to stray from best practice. Interviewers are NOT instructed to disregard local MDT guidelines Interviewers are NOT encouraged to wing it by disregarding protocols

14 Interview Protocols The development of interview protocols have had significant positive impacts in the field: - Encourages narrative questioning and best practice techniques - Provides support/guidance for new interviewers - Provides consistency between interviewers

15 Interview Protocols Interview protocols have limitations and possible negative effects, particularly for new interviewers. Fear of asking the wrong question Fear of appearing leading/suggestive if language strays from protocol language Fear of defending an off-script interview during testimony

16 What is the art of interviewing? The interviewer s art and skill can include: Research based strategies (narrative questions, rapport building before orientation as seen in Revised NICHD) Basic skills (body language, voice) The use of child-centered gentle pressure and prompts

17 Start from the beginning Interview protocols often begin with Rapport phase

18 Rapport example I: Hello, my name is Scott. I work here at the doctor s office, and I talk with kids about things that might have happened. I d like to get to know you more. What is your name? C: Julie. I: How old are you? C: 10 I: What grade are you in? C: 5 th I: Do you like being the oldest grade in school? C: Yes. I: So what do you like to do? C: Play with my friends at recess, we like to play tag and hide and seek. I: Oh, that sounds nice, I bet you really like that. Well, thank you for telling me more about you..now, were you abused?

19 Rapport example #2 Start the interview using narrative prompts (Practice Example)

20 Protocol example (RADAR) Hello my name is. I am a (police officer/social worker). My job is to make sure kids are safe and healthy. One of the things I like about my job is that I get to meet lots of children/teenagers. I d like to get to know you better. Tell me all about you. Encourage elaboration with branching narrative prompts: You said. Tell me more about that. Tell me all about X. (TMAA) Tell me about the things you like to do. Elicit a narrative regarding a single event. Tell me about the last time/ the time you remember the most.

21 The Art of Engagement/Rapport Main points: Meeting child halfway i.e., we have to engage with child showing interest, energy, curiosity. Engagement phase ends when you LIKE the child, and/or learn something new from them Engagement is child-centered per age, child, case

22 The Art Rapport using Narrative prompts Highly effective engagement tool for all age children. Promotes a conversation vs. interview The Science Evidence based benefits of narrative prompts Increased details later in the interview (example: Revised NICHD)

23 Voice/Body/Phrasing Using confident body language, intonation, phasing Examples: What message does the child receive from Can you tell me? vs. Tell me everything about that. Getting progressively quieter as child discloses does this send the message that this is bad/secretive/hard to talk about? Confident interactions express to child you can handle it and take care of child

24 Voice/Body/Phrasing Examples: Changing energy through movement/body language Interjecting What did you think/feel about that? and body movement to open further dialogue

25 Pushing the Narrative Account: The Art Example 13yo girl s initial narrative about a 23yo male He said I should skip school so I did. He came and we went back to his house. We had some beer and smoked a while. We went to his room and things started happening. That s when we did it. POLL how many interviewers would ask about did it? The child expects to be asked about we did it. Pushing the narrative here opens the child to discuss what happened afterwards.

26 Pushing the Narrative Account: The Science Example 13yo girl s initial narrative about a 23yo male He said I should skip school so I did. He came and we went back to his house. We had some beer and smoked a while. We went to his room and things started happening. That s when we did it. Q - What happened then? She described the police giving the man a traffic citation with her in the car while picking up the man s mother from work at a corrections facility!

27 Addressing barriers/avoidance Discussion Points: Respond to difficult questions by narrative, i.e., what makes you think that? Acknowledge barrier/block and moving forward confidently may allow child to still disclose/report Not identifying it s hard to talk about

28 Pressure Tell me about that is a prompt, not a question Skilled interviewers apply gentle pressure and know when to release pressure depending on child s demeanor/response Interviewer can obtain value-added contextual details by releasing pressure and asking easier questions such as where people were Use Lyon s physical/emotional/psychological experiential questions to break up monotony of tell me about what happened

29 Bibliography Ceci, S.J., & Bruck, M. (1995). Jeopardy in the Courtroom: A scientific analysis of children s testimony. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Faller, K. C. (2007). Questioning techniques. In K. Faller (Ed.), Interviewing children about sexual abuse (pp ). New York: Oxford University Press. Lamb, M. E., Hershkowitz, I., Orbach, Y., & Esplin, P. W. (2008). Tell me what happened: Structured investigative interviews of child victims and witnesses. Chichester, U.K.: Wiley. Lamb, M. E., Hershkowitz, I., & Lyon, T.D. (2013) Interviewing victims and suspected victims who are reluctant to talk. APSAC (American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children) Advisor, 25(4), Lyon, T.D., Scurich, N., Choi, K., Handmaker, S., and Blank, R. (2012) How did you feel? : Increasing child sexual abuse witnesses production of evaluative information. Law and Human Behavior, 36(5), Myers, J.E.B. et al (eds) (2002). The APSAC Handbook on Child Maltreatment, 2 nd Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Walker, A. G., Kenniston, J. (2013). Handbook on questioning children: A linguistic perspective (3rd ed.). Washington, DC: ABA Center on Children and the Law.

Forensic Interviewing: The Basics. Jennifer Ingalls MSW Vianett Rodriguez M.Ed Forensic Interviewers Childhelp Children s Center

Forensic Interviewing: The Basics Jennifer Ingalls MSW Vianett Rodriguez M.Ed Forensic Interviewers Childhelp Children s Center What Is a Forensic Interview? Approached from a neutral perspective Obtain