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Research-based forensic interview protocols direct interviewers to use question prompts that encourage children to report events in their own words and minimize questions that convey information from the interviewer or that introduces topics the child has not previously mentioned (Poole, 2016).
Archive | Forensic Services
What is source monitoring and why is it relevant to forensic interviews of children?
What is source monitoring? “Source monitoring refers to the set of processes involved in making attributions about the origins of memories, knowledge and beliefs” (Johnson, Hashtroudi, & Lindsay, 1993, (p. 3). Memory source monitoring addresses the question – how do we know what we know? Is our knowledge based on direct experience or did it […]
Forensic interviewing guidelines: Is the “something else” option appropriate in child forensic interviews?
By Dr. Dan Swerdlow-Freed on January 3, 2018 in Forensic Interviewing of Children, Forensic Services
A forensic interviewing guideline exists that directs child forensic interviewers to include a something else option as a response choice to closed questions. This response option is based on the premise that a child will select the something else option if the other response options are false, and when prompted, will self-generate the correct answer.
The Nuts and Bolts of a Child Forensic Interview
What is a Forensic Interview? A child forensic interview can be conceptualized as a structured conversation that is designed to obtain information from a child about an event the child may have experienced. The interview should be “developmentally sensitive,” meaning questions should be phrased based on a child’s level of cognitive development and linguistic skills. […]
Juror Knowledge of Child Sexual Abuse and The Role of Expert Witness Testimony
By Dr. Dan Swerdlow-Freed on April 14, 2017 in Expert Witness & Trial Consultation, Forensic Interviewing of Children, Forensic Services
Overview Accurate knowledge regarding the dynamics of child sexual abuse and the reliability of children’s eyewitness testimony is crucial for juror decision-making. However, if jurors harbor mistaken beliefs about how children respond to sexual abuse or are not aware of children’s ability to accurately describe their experiences, the likelihood of reaching a fair verdict is reduced. […]
