1. Do Prosecutors Use Interview Instructions or Build Rapport with Child Witnesses?
- Author
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Ahern, Elizabeth C., Stolzenberg, Stacia N., and Lyon, Thomas D.
- Subjects
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INTERVIEWING in child abuse , *PROSECUTORS , *CHILD witnesses , *DECISION making in prosecution , *ADULT-child relationships , *TRIAL preparation , *LEGAL evidence , *PSYCHOLOGY - Abstract
This study examined the quality of interview instructions and rapport-building provided by prosecutors to 168 children aged 5-12 years testifying in child sexual abuse cases, preceding explicit questions about abuse allegations. Prosecutors failed to effectively administer key interview instructions, build rapport, or rely on open-ended narrative producing prompts during this early stage of questioning. Moreover, prosecutors often directed children's attention to the defendant early in the testimony. The productivity of different types of wh- questions varied, with what/how questions focusing on actions being particularly productive. The lack of instructions, poor quality rapport-building, and closed-ended questioning suggest that children may not be adequately prepared during trial to provide lengthy and reliable reports to their full ability. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2015
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