Regulating and coping with distress during police interviews of traumatized victims.

Abstract

The findings of the study show the importance of relational processes in investigative interviewing of traumatized interviewees, particularly with regard to coping with emotions. The results suggest that if the police investigator who is conducting an investigative interview can offer a trusting, safe and compassionate relationship, or if he or she steers the relational dynamics toward safety in the present moment when distress arises, he or she may facilitate the regulation of distress. We propose that if the interviewee's emotions are managed in this way during the police interview, it may lead to increased rapport and promote psychological health. (PsycINFO Database Record

Breathe, relax and remember: An investigation into how focused breathing can improve identification of EvoFIT facial composites

“…The literature is mixed on the effect of stress on eyewitness memory [25], but generally supports the notion that too much stress can adversely affect memory [10,23]. This can be particularly relevant in highly stressful conditions [26], such as where a witness may be reluctant to discuss a crime (perhaps as he or she is also a victim), thus elevating stress levels beyond healthy limits [6]. Under these circumstances, it may be useful for police to have additional techniques such as those involved in mindfulness, to help relax witnesses and, in doing so, improve the effectiveness of their evidence.…”

“…As cognitive resources may be limited [12], competition between anxiety and recall may well affect a witness's ability to access memory for accurate details of a crime [13]. For many witnesses, attending a police interview may be a novel experience, potentially laden with anxiety and stress [6]. Witnesses may be traumatised or simply anxious about attending a police station [11].…”

“…The resulting composite may then be shown to a wider audience (e.g., media outlets such as newspapers and television news programmes) in the hope a member of the public recognises it and an arrest of the offender can be made [2]. Research has established that the effectiveness of a composite can be affected by a number factors including the composite system, the interviewing techniques administered by the practitioner [5], the method used to present the composite to the media [3], and factors such as anxiety that may involve the witness him or herself [6].…”

Emotional Intelligence in Police Interviews—Approach, Training and the Usefulness of the Concept

“…They [the interviewees] should be strengthened by it, in a way; they should but we should also focus on what is important in the future (Risan et al, 2016b). …”

“…Even though guidelines in the forensic literature emphasize the importance of regulating or reducing negative emotions in police interviews, there is little knowledge of exactly how this should be done and how the process may unfold. This was the background and point of departure for Paper 2, which aimed to explore the processes of regulating distress and promoting the well-being of traumatized interviewees (Risan, Binder, & Milne, 2016b).…”