Children's Non-Verbal Behavior Coding Scheme

Katz, Carmit; Hershkowitz, Irit; Malloy, Lindsay C.; Lamb, Michael E.; Atabaki, Armita; Spindler, Sabine

doi:10.1037/t27954-000

“…This may have further highlighted the mechanisms and nuances underlying interviewer and child exchanges. Bonanno et al (2002) and Katz et al (2012) have found significant differences in non-verbal behaviour (e.g., facial expression indicating shame, physical disengagement such as looking away from the interviewer) of children and young people who did not disclose abuse compared to those who did. Forensic interviewers may change (or persist with) their questioning strategy if children are expressing their reluctance or disengagement non-verbally.…”

Section: Evaluation Of Forensic Interviewing Practice In New Zealandmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding and addressing challenges faced by forensic interviewers in their work with children

Wolfman¹

0

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Questioning techniques in forensic interviews make a critical contribution to the amount and quality of children’s testimony (Lamb, La Rooy, Malloy, & Katz, 2011). Best practice recommendations advise that interviewers ask predominantly broad open-ended prompts (invitations and cued-invitations), minimise focused (direct) and closed-ended (option-posing) prompts, and avoid suggestive questions (Orbach & Pipe, 2011). Deviation from these recommendations is common, and deterioration in interviewing practice over time is typical unless interviewers received regular practice focused supervision and feedback (Lamb, Sternberg, Orbach, Esplin, & Mitchell, 2002). However, interviewers’ access to supervision is often limited (La Rooy, Lamb, & Memon, 2011). Guided self-review may be an effective method to complement traditional face-to-face supervision. This thesis examined: 1) forensic interviewing practice with children in New Zealand, 2) factors that influenced practice, 3) forensic interviewers’ perceptions of supervision, and 4) the effectiveness of a self-review tool designed to increase the use of invitations and cued-invitations. The first study was divided into two parts (Study 1a and Study 1b). In Study 1a, we evaluated the extent to which forensic interviewers in New Zealand adhered to best-practice recommendations, and examined factors (child, interviewer, allegation characteristics) that influenced practice. We examined 93 interviews with children (6-16 years old) about sexual abuse allegations that were conducted by 27 interviewers. Interviewers utilised more direct (57%), and option-posing prompts (20%), and fewer invitations and cued-invitations (22% combined) than stipulated by best practice recommendations, although very few suggestive questions were posed. A number of child, interviewer and allegation characteristics influenced questioning techniques. In Study 1b, we examined whether limited use of invitations and cued-invitations (in a larger sample of 103 interviews) was associated with decreased responsiveness from children, and failure to follow recommended practice of using such questions following any direct or option-posing questions (termed pairing). Although invitations were more likely to elicit responses (83%) than non-responses (17%) from children, non-responding was more highly associated with this type of prompt than expected by chance. Furthermore, interviewers did not adhere to the pairing principle, even though this practice was positively associated with higher proportion of invitations and cued-invitations. In the second study, we surveyed 39 forensic interviewers about their engagement in, and beliefs about supervision. Two-thirds of the interviewers indicated that they engage in practice-focused supervision. Out of these interviewers, over half (57.7%) received supervision regularly and were satisfied with the content of their supervision, and approximately half (53.9%) were satisfied with their supervision opportunities. Nonetheless, interviewers varied in terms of how satisfying they found their access to, and the content of supervision. Finally, a number of individual and organisational barriers (e.g., financial, time constraint and limited availability of supervisors) to accessing face-to-face supervision were identified. In the final study, we explored the impact of a self-review tool specifically designed to increase invitations and cued-invitations and adherence to the pairing principle. This pilot study used an AB design (baseline vs. intervention) with six interviewers (n=54 interviews with 4-16 year old children for alleged physical or sexual abuse). Interviews conducted during the self-review phase had a significantly higher proportion of invitations, and a lower proportion of direct prompts, and higher adherence to the pairing principle than interviews at baseline. Overall, our evaluation of forensic interviewing practice with children in New Zealand has highlighted areas of strengths as well as areas for improvement. In particular, consistent with international evaluations, an increase in the use of invitations and cued-invitations is recommended, and our results suggest that one way this may be achieved is by a greater focus in training and practice on the use of the pairing principle. Undoubtedly, forensic interviewing is a challenging task that requires highly specialised skills. Without regular supervision and feedback, it is difficult to maintain consistent and high standards of interviewing. Given the challenges that may limit forensic interviewers’ access to regular feedback and supervision, guided self-review may offer an accessible and low-cost complementary method to improve the conduct of forensic interviews with children. Better quality interviews increase the chance of investigations progressing when maltreatment has occurred, thereby protecting vulnerable children from further abuse, and innocent adults from the consequences of false allegations.

show abstract

“…Research findings highlight how supportive environments can help children to be more accurate (Goodman et al, 1991), more responsive (Hershkowitz, 2009), and less resistant to suggestive questions (Carter et al, 1996;Davis & Bottoms, 2002) than in less supportive environments. Despite supportive environments being known as good practice, this at times is not implemented where some studies have found interviewers offered less support when children were reluctant to disclose (Hershkowitz et al, 2006;Katz et al, 2012;Teoh & Lamb, 2013).…”

Section: Best Practice Interviewingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…When children encounter difficulty in what is being asked of them, it is part of the interviewers' role to help them understand. Researchers have explored child reluctance and the impact of interviewer support whilst using rapport focused, revised NICHD protocols (Ahern et al, 2014;Blasbalg et al, 2018;Hershkowitz et al, 2006Hershkowitz et al, , 2015Katz et al, 2012;Lewy et al, 2015;Teoh & Lamb, 2013), which is what the Specialist Child Interviewing Model is based on. Some researchers found when children were reluctant to disclose allegations of abuse, interviewers often offered less support (Hershkowitz et al, 2006;Katz et al, 2012;Teoh & Lamb, 2013).…”

Section: Interviewers' Responsiveness To Child Difficultymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Researchers have explored child reluctance and the impact of interviewer support whilst using rapport focused, revised NICHD protocols (Ahern et al, 2014;Blasbalg et al, 2018;Hershkowitz et al, 2006Hershkowitz et al, , 2015Katz et al, 2012;Lewy et al, 2015;Teoh & Lamb, 2013), which is what the Specialist Child Interviewing Model is based on. Some researchers found when children were reluctant to disclose allegations of abuse, interviewers often offered less support (Hershkowitz et al, 2006;Katz et al, 2012;Teoh & Lamb, 2013). Others research findings showed that when interviewers offered increased support, child reluctance decreased and more information was provided; conversely, if interviewers showed less support, this increased the child's reluctance (Ahern et al, 2014;Blasbalg et al, 2018;Hershkowitz et al, 2015;Lewy et al, 2015).…”

Section: Interviewers' Responsiveness To Child Difficultymentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Evaluating Investigative Interviews with Children in New Zealand

Park

0

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Child witnesses can give informative and reliable testimony when they are interviewed appropriately. Interviews in New Zealand follow the Specialist Child Interviewing Model which is consistent with international evidence-based practice. This study examined investigative interviews with children in New Zealand through interviewers’ adherence to preparatory and structural components of the model, their interviewing strategy, and how interviewers responded when children demonstrated difficulty. Interviewers (n = 24) demonstrated good adherence to preparatory components of the model and typically responded well when children expressed difficulty in answering questions. The practice interview was generally brief and comprised largely of invitations, with limited variety in questioning strategies and associated pairing of invitations, with more focused questions. When eliciting the child’s account, interviewers relied predominantly on direct questions rather than invitations to obtain information. On average, interviewers posed three direct or option posing questions in a row before introducing an invitation style prompt, indicating a departure from recommended practice. Training and development resources could focus on the practice narrative interview, to increase the depth and breadth of questioning used with children. This would thereby better achieve its intended function as a precursor to the questioning strategies adopted during the substantive phase. Further, increasing the emphasis on pairing as an important aspect of good interviewing practice may minimise interviewers’ use of direct questions and increase the frequency of invitations (open and cued) to promote best-practice.

show abstract

Understanding and addressing challenges faced by forensic interviewers in their work with children

Wolfman¹

0

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Questioning techniques in forensic interviews make a critical contribution to the amount and quality of children’s testimony (Lamb, La Rooy, Malloy, & Katz, 2011). Best practice recommendations advise that interviewers ask predominantly broad open-ended prompts (invitations and cued-invitations), minimise focused (direct) and closed-ended (option-posing) prompts, and avoid suggestive questions (Orbach & Pipe, 2011). Deviation from these recommendations is common, and deterioration in interviewing practice over time is typical unless interviewers received regular practice focused supervision and feedback (Lamb, Sternberg, Orbach, Esplin, & Mitchell, 2002). However, interviewers’ access to supervision is often limited (La Rooy, Lamb, & Memon, 2011). Guided self-review may be an effective method to complement traditional face-to-face supervision. This thesis examined: 1) forensic interviewing practice with children in New Zealand, 2) factors that influenced practice, 3) forensic interviewers’ perceptions of supervision, and 4) the effectiveness of a self-review tool designed to increase the use of invitations and cued-invitations. The first study was divided into two parts (Study 1a and Study 1b). In Study 1a, we evaluated the extent to which forensic interviewers in New Zealand adhered to best-practice recommendations, and examined factors (child, interviewer, allegation characteristics) that influenced practice. We examined 93 interviews with children (6-16 years old) about sexual abuse allegations that were conducted by 27 interviewers. Interviewers utilised more direct (57%), and option-posing prompts (20%), and fewer invitations and cued-invitations (22% combined) than stipulated by best practice recommendations, although very few suggestive questions were posed. A number of child, interviewer and allegation characteristics influenced questioning techniques. In Study 1b, we examined whether limited use of invitations and cued-invitations (in a larger sample of 103 interviews) was associated with decreased responsiveness from children, and failure to follow recommended practice of using such questions following any direct or option-posing questions (termed pairing). Although invitations were more likely to elicit responses (83%) than non-responses (17%) from children, non-responding was more highly associated with this type of prompt than expected by chance. Furthermore, interviewers did not adhere to the pairing principle, even though this practice was positively associated with higher proportion of invitations and cued-invitations. In the second study, we surveyed 39 forensic interviewers about their engagement in, and beliefs about supervision. Two-thirds of the interviewers indicated that they engage in practice-focused supervision. Out of these interviewers, over half (57.7%) received supervision regularly and were satisfied with the content of their supervision, and approximately half (53.9%) were satisfied with their supervision opportunities. Nonetheless, interviewers varied in terms of how satisfying they found their access to, and the content of supervision. Finally, a number of individual and organisational barriers (e.g., financial, time constraint and limited availability of supervisors) to accessing face-to-face supervision were identified. In the final study, we explored the impact of a self-review tool specifically designed to increase invitations and cued-invitations and adherence to the pairing principle. This pilot study used an AB design (baseline vs. intervention) with six interviewers (n=54 interviews with 4-16 year old children for alleged physical or sexual abuse). Interviews conducted during the self-review phase had a significantly higher proportion of invitations, and a lower proportion of direct prompts, and higher adherence to the pairing principle than interviews at baseline. Overall, our evaluation of forensic interviewing practice with children in New Zealand has highlighted areas of strengths as well as areas for improvement. In particular, consistent with international evaluations, an increase in the use of invitations and cued-invitations is recommended, and our results suggest that one way this may be achieved is by a greater focus in training and practice on the use of the pairing principle. Undoubtedly, forensic interviewing is a challenging task that requires highly specialised skills. Without regular supervision and feedback, it is difficult to maintain consistent and high standards of interviewing. Given the challenges that may limit forensic interviewers’ access to regular feedback and supervision, guided self-review may offer an accessible and low-cost complementary method to improve the conduct of forensic interviews with children. Better quality interviews increase the chance of investigations progressing when maltreatment has occurred, thereby protecting vulnerable children from further abuse, and innocent adults from the consequences of false allegations.

show abstract

Children's Non-Verbal Behavior Coding Scheme

Cited by 3 publications

References 0 publications

Understanding and addressing challenges faced by forensic interviewers in their work with children

Understanding and addressing challenges faced by forensic interviewers in their work with children

Evaluating Investigative Interviews with Children in New Zealand

Understanding and addressing challenges faced by forensic interviewers in their work with children

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About