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The Effects of repeated interviewing on children's forensic statements of sexual abuse
Author(s) -
Hershkowitz Irit,
Terner Anat
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
applied cognitive psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.719
H-Index - 100
eISSN - 1099-0720
pISSN - 0888-4080
DOI - 10.1002/acp.1319
Subject(s) - interview , psychology , sexual abuse , forensic science , child sexual abuse , cognitive interview , repeated measures design , sexual assault , child abuse , clinical psychology , developmental psychology , psychiatry , human factors and ergonomics , poison control , cognition , medicine , medical emergency , statistics , mathematics , political science , veterinary medicine , law
Multiple interviews with children alleging sexual abuse are not uncommon. Researchers expressed concern that repeated investigations may create and preserve inaccurate details. However, studies indicated that repeated open‐ended interviews are not necessarily harmful and may have advantages. Forensic interviews were conducted with 40 children, alleged victims of sexual abuse, according to the NICHD investigative protocol. The children were re‐interviewed after a short break. The information obtained in the second interview was almost 25% new. The first interview yielded a larger number of details, both central and peripheral, but the proportion of central details was larger in the second interview. The proportion of details repeated in both interviews was surprisingly low, and most of the original information was not included. Older children repeated more information than younger ones. The data suggest that a repeated forensic interview may elicit new information and preserve central details. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.