Use of a structured investigative protocol enhances the quality of investigative interviews with alleged victims of child sexual abuse in Britain

Abstract

One hundred alleged victims of child sexual abuse (aged 4-13; M ¼ 9.3 years) were interviewed by police investigators about their alleged experiences. Half of the children were interviewed using the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) structured interview Protocol, whereas the other children, matched with respect to their age, relationship with the alleged perpetrator, and seriousness of the alleged offenses, were interviewed by investigators following the Memorandum of Good Practice. Protocol-guided interviews elicited more information using freerecall invitations and less information using directive, option-posing and suggestive questions than did standard Memorandum interviews. There were no age differences in the proportion of total information provided in response to open-ended invitations in either condition, but there was a significant increase with age in the proportion of central information provided in response to openended invitations. Published in

Dynamics of Repeated Interviews with Children

“…However, the present study indicates that if general standards of interviewing improve, there is no reason to believe that repeat interviews should not also do so and continue to be of investigative value. *The difference in percentage between interviews one and two is significant at p < .05 Table 2 Mean percentages of question types used in the present study's interviews one and two and those of Lamb et al (2009) and La Rooy et al (2013) a Some of the transcripts from these samples were included in the current sample.…”

The NICHD protocol: a review of an internationally-used evidence-based tool for training child forensic interviewers

“…Studies of interviewing practice in various parts of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Sweden, Scotland, Finland, Norway, and Israel consistently show that forensic interviewers use openended prompts quite rarely (e.g. Cederborg, La Rooy & Lamb, 2008;Korkman, Santtila, & Sandnabba, 2006;Lamb et al, 1996;Lamb et al, 2009;La Rooy, Lamb & Memon, 2011; What is alarming from a service perspective is that, in many studies, considerable expense and effort was directed to training interviewers, the interviewers seem to be well-aware of the recommended practices, and often believed that they were adhering to those recommendations. Research has thus revealed a disturbing dichotomy between 'knowledge about desirable practices' and 'the actual behavior of forensic investigators' (Lamb, Hershkowitz, Orbach, & Esplin, 2008).…”

“…Studies of interviewing practice in various parts of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Sweden, Scotland, Finland, Norway, and Israel consistently show that forensic interviewers use openended prompts quite rarely (e.g. Cederborg, La Rooy & Lamb, 2008;Korkman, Santtila, & Sandnabba, 2006;Lamb et al, 1996;Lamb et al, 2009;La Rooy, Lamb & Memon, 2011; Myklebust & Bjorklund, 2006; Sternberg, Lamb, Davies, & Westcott, 2001). …”

Investigative Interviews with Victims of Child Sexual Abuse: The Relationship between Question Type and Investigation Relevant Information

“…Bull, 2010;Davies, et al, 2000;Lamb, et al,1998;Lamb, et al, 2009;Myklebust & Bjørklund, 2006;2009;Oxburgh, Ost & Cherryman, 2010a;Oxburgh, Myklebust & Grant, 2010b;Poole & Lamb 1998). Such best practice is also promoted through investigative interviewing institutes such as the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD; Lamb et al, 2000b).…”