Lecture Notes: Forensic Interviewing with Children

Introduction

• Speaker: Kim Madden, Child Forensic Interview Specialist
• Location: Children's Advocacy Center, Huntsville, Alabama
• Focus on adapting forensic interviews to children aged 2-18, with a current focus on latency age children.

Latency Age Children

• Age Range: Starting at age 6, typically ending around the onset of puberty (11-12 years).
• Development: Significant developmental changes occur from post-preschool to adolescence.

Characteristics of Latency Age Children

• Concrete Thinking:
  • Difficulty with abstract concepts.
  • Example: A child might take "you've grown a foot" literally and look at their feet.
  • In interviews, concrete questions are more effective, e.g., "Where were your clothes?"
  • Ensuring children understand questions is crucial; avoid misunderstandings by using direct language.

Interview Instructions and Practice

• Importance of practice for understanding interview instructions.
• Use child-led scenarios to practice, e.g., discussing pets or school.
• Consider multiple practice sessions for younger latency aged children.

Loyalty and Relationships

• Social Behaviors:
  • Children in this age group enjoy interacting with adults and are less embarrassed by parental presence.
• Loyalty Issues:
  • Often abused by people they know, leading to loyalty conflicts.
  • Important to assess the child's relationship with the suspect and their support network.
  • Parental encouragement can help balance loyalty conflicts during interviews.
  • Understanding loyalty can explain delayed disclosures and recantations.

Executive Functioning

• Definition: Set of mental processes necessary for managing oneself and resources to achieve a goal, compared to air traffic control.
• Development: Major growth during latency, peaking around age 10.
• Components: Working memory, mental flexibility, and self-control.
• Relevance in interviews: Children need to recall and narrate events in order, testing executive functioning.

Emotional Considerations

• Common Emotions: Guilt, anger, shame, especially regarding abuse experiences.
• Interview Techniques:
  • Be attuned to emotional cues and reactions.
  • Allow alternative expressions of information, e.g., drawing or writing.
  • Open questions like "How do you feel about being here?" provide insight into the child's emotional state.

Conclusion

• Forensic interviewers need to be mindful of the unique developmental and emotional needs of latency age children.
• Interview techniques should be adapted to suit concrete thinking, loyalty dynamics, and executive functioning capabilities.