NCJ Number
146536
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 63 Issue: 1 Dated: (January 1994) Pages: 19-22
Date Published
1994
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Factors to consider when interviewing child abuse victims are discussed.
Abstract
Law enforcement officers must possess a basic knowledge of child and adolescent development, child sexuality, and the different emotional styles of children to successfully interview child abuse victims. The primary goal of the questioning should be to obtain untainted information from the child or adolescent that prosecutors can use in court proceedings. Officers also need to know the various types of questions they can ask and how the type of question can impact on the final result of the interview. Five common types of questions are general, focused, multiple choice, yes-or-no, and leading. Focused questions tend to elicit more information from children and limit the discussion. Multiple-choice questions should be used with children who have difficulty describing their abuse. Leading questions are inappropriate for interviews of children because, in the majority of cases, children's answers to these questions will reflect the way the interviewer slants the question. Yes-or-no and general questions tend to be less effective with children. 6 endnotes, table describing child development stages