Browsing by Author "Wright, Rebecca ; Powell, Martine B."
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Item Investigative interviewers' perceptions of their difficulty in adhering to open-ended questions with child witnesses(International Journal of Police Science & Management, 2006) Wright, Rebecca ; Powell, Martine B.Best practice guidelines for conducting investigative interviews of children emphasise the importance of obtaining free narrative accounts with the use of open-ended questions. However, research indicates that most investigative interviewers underutilise open-ended questions, even following intensive training in their use. The aim of the current study was to explore investigative interviewers' perceptions of their difficulty in asking open-ended questions. During a training course on how to use open-ended questions, eight child abuse investigators were individually interviewed about why they had asked specific questions in a 10-minute mock interview conducted immediately earlier with a school child. Overall, three reasons were identified. These related to: 1. the specificity of the information required from children; 2. the unfamiliar nature of the open-ended discourse style; and 3. the complex distinction between open-ended versus specific questions. Each of these themes is discussed, along with the implications for trainers and researchers in child investigative interviewing. (Author Abstract)Item What makes a good investigative interviewer of children?: A comparison of police officers' and experts' perceptions(Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies and Management, 2007) Wright, Rebecca ; Powell, Martine B.The findings indicate the need for more quality control in police child interviews based in collaboration with experts in child development and memory as well as legal professionals. Both the officers and the eyewitness memory experts emphasized the importance of the interviewer's personal attributes in developing trust and rapport with the child being interviewed. Being relaxed, empathetic, and supportive with the child were considered critical in obtaining information from the child about events at issue in child abuse cases. The officers also mentioned that an effective interview should provide admissible evidence relevant to the legal issues in the case. Officers indicated a good interview would elicit evidence sufficient for a successful prosecution. The officers seemed unsure about how best to obtain information relevant to a case. Some of the officers mentioned a lack of supervision in their interviews with children, such that there was little monitoring of performance and feedback. In addition to sharing the officers' emphasis on establishing a bond of trust between the interviewer and the child, child eyewitness memory experts focused on the importance of asking open-ended questions. The officers failed to mention this as a critical part of interviewing. All of the 23 police officers interviewed worked in child abuse units, which were responsible for responding to complaints of suspected abuse. Twelve of the officers were women. In the indepth interviews, officers were asked about their experiences in interviewing children and their opinions on the characteristics and techniques of an effective interviewer of children. (Author Abstract)