Use of Paraphrasing in Investigative Interviews

• NCJ Number: 231995
• Journal: Child Abuse & Neglect Volume: 34 Issue: 8 Dated: August 2010 Pages: 585-592
• Author(s): Angela D. Evans; Kim P. Roberts; Heather L. Price; Candyce P. Stefek
• Date Published: August 2010
• Length: 8 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

This Canadian study assessed the effectiveness of using "paraphrasing" (interviewer's repeating in his/her own words the interviewee's responses to interviewer's questions) in eliciting lengthier accounts of children's descriptions of maltreatment.

Abstract

The study found that "expansion paraphrasing" (interviewer's restating of the child's response accompanied by a request for more information with an open-ended prompt) was used significantly more often by interviewers and elicited significantly more details than other types of paraphrasing. "Yes/no paraphrasing" resulted in shorter descriptions from the children compared with other paraphrasing styles. This type of paraphrasing occurred when the interviewer restated the child's response in the form of a question that could be answered by either "yes" or "no." Interviewers more often distorted children's words when using "yes/no paraphrasing," and children rarely corrected interviewers when they paraphrased inaccurately. Other forms of paraphrasing were "simple paraphrasing" and "summary paraphrasing." "Simple paraphrasing" occurred when the interviewer restated what the child said without the use of intonation to make it a question and without adding an open-ended prompt. "Summary paraphrasing" occurred when the interviewer summarized several responses the child previously made. Investigative interviewers frequently used paraphrasing with children of all ages. Although children's responses differed following the various styles of paraphrasing, the effects did not differ with the child's age. Based in the study's findings, the authors recommend the use of "expansion paraphrasing" as a useful technique for eliciting more information in children's accounts of victimization. The use of paraphrasing was assessed in 125 investigative interviews of allegations of maltreatment of children ages 4-16 years old. Interviews were conducted by police officers and social workers. All interviewer prompts were coded into the four different categories of paraphrasing, and children's responses were coded for the number of details in responses to each paraphrasing statement. 2 tables and 26 references