Search

• Only half of the sample had received training in child interviewing. • Child Protective Services rarely used research-based child interview methods. • Props were commonly used when interviewing children. • Many participants held beliefs in favor of the possibility of repressing and recovering memories. • We encourage the Swedish government to implement national guidelines for child interviewing in the Child Protective Services. The Child Protective Services (CPS) can be prominent actors in child abuse investigations as they often conduct the first safety assessment upon receiving a report of concern for a child. As part of this assessment, CPS may conduct an interview with the child. However, to date, little is known about how these interviews are conducted. The present study aimed to shed light on Swedish social workers' experience with interviewing children and knowledge about children's memory and witness abilities. A total of 204 social workers participated in an online survey and answered questions concerning memory functioning and interviewing children about suspected abuse. Responses were analyzed using qualitative (content analyses) and quantitative (descriptive) approaches. The main findings concern a lack of standardized interviewing guidelines, with CPS workers instead using various interviewing techniques with limited empirical support. When asked to elaborate on the challenges they perceived interviewing children, many mentioned the difficulty of asking proper questions. A few expressed feeling unequipped for the task of interviewing children. Further, participants' knowledge regarding children's memory varied. Many expressed awareness that memories can be vulnerable to suggestion and that emotions cannot verify a memory's authenticity. However, participants were more insecure regarding the possibility of repressing and, subsequently, recovering memories. Improvement is required; CPS needs further education and support when conducting interviews with children regarding suspected abuse. Implementing a research-based method can facilitate these interviews and improve children's right to be heard and legal certainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Young victims of child sexual abuse can – for a range of developmental, motivational and contextual reasons – have difficulties disclosing their experiences. In the present study, corroborated court cases concerning 57 preschoolers’ disclosures of sexual abuse were examined using qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Together, the cases involved 53 girls and 4 boys between 2–6 years ( M = 4.2, SD = 1.2) during the (first) incident of abuse. The children were between 3–7 years ( M = 5.3, SD = 1.2) during their police interview. Analyses showed that many children could provide at least one central detail about the abuse to; i) informal disclosure recipients, and ii) during their police interview. However, the time up until their first disclosure was often delayed. A range of barriers for disclosing were observed in the court cases, and many young victims were assessed as reluctant during their police interview. Repeated sessions, direct questions, and other reassurances could at times facilitate the disclosure process. Other suggestions on actions and future research that may help young child abuse victims are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child sexual abuse (CSA) cases are notoriously difficult to investigate, and less than 10% of cases are prosecuted. We aimed to investigate prosecutors’ experiences of preparing for and prosecuting suspected CSA cases with preschool aged victims. Nine specialized child prosecutors (6 women, 3 men) took part either in individual interviews or in focus groups on this subject. The transcripts were analyzed thematically. The prosecutors said that children's testimony was sometimes held to an adult standard and that child complainants who expressed emotion could be perceived as more credible than their less expressive counterparts. CSA victims were identified as vulnerable victims who had difficulty telling their stories. Some of the interviewers were described as lacking in the ability to approach these children. The results imply that the reliability and credibility of sexually abused preschoolers and their testimony might be influenced by a number of verbal and non-verbal factors and that there are several obstacles preventing prosecutors from prosecuting these cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Legal practitioners have expressed concerns regarding the quality of interpreter-mediated forensic interviews with child witnesses. This mixed-methods study aimed to examine Swedish forensic interviewers' experiences of conducting child interviews via a language interpreter. Forty-one forensic interviewers from the Swedish Police Authority with experience conducting interpreter-mediated child interviews participated in a digital survey. Their responses were analyzed using both qualitative (thematic and content analyses) and quantitative (descriptive and inferential statistics) approaches. The forensic interviewers' general experiences of conducting interpreter-mediated child interviews were negative. Limited access to authorized legal interpreters and doubts regarding the accuracy of interpretation were described as major obstacles in these investigations. The presence of an interpreter could negatively impact children's disclosure process and limit their chances of expressing their views during legal proceedings. According to Swedish forensic interviewers, the quality of interpreter-mediated child interviews urgently needs to be addressed. Our results are consistent with previous surveys from Australia and the United States, highlighting the international relevance of these topics. Future improvements are vital to ensure that all children are provided an equal right to be heard during criminal investigations, regardless of the native language. • Swedish police report poor quality of interpreter-mediated child interviews. • Limited access to qualified interpreters was seen as a considerable problem. • Interpreters must translate interviews without being suggestive or uncomfortable. • The quality of interpreter-mediated child interviews must be addressed urgently. • Video-conference technology may be an option to phone interpretation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child forensic interviewers have expressed concerns regarding the quality of interpreter-mediated child forensic interviews. However, research on interpreters' perspectives on these interviews is scarce and specialized education for interpreters limited. This mixed-methods study aimed to explore interpreters' experiences and knowledge of interpreting child forensic interviews. A total of 130 Swedish interpreters with different authorization statuses responded to a digital survey about interpreting child forensic interviews. Qualitative data were analyzed with reflexive thematic analysis and content analysis, and quantitative data with descriptive and inferential statistics. Interpreters reported challenges concerning children's limited language skills, the emotional effects of interpreting child forensic interviews, the limited access to information before interviews, and the complex balance between following interpreters' ethical guidelines and adjusting for situational demands. Regarding practical conditions, interpreters preferred interpreting in person instead of via telephone. Interpreters' general knowledge of child forensic interviewing did not differ between interpreters with different authorization statuses (F (2,108) = 0.80, ω 2 = −0.002, p =.45), except from views on using leading questions (H (2) = 17.34, η 2 = 0.14, p <.001) and whether interpreters may clarify terms to child interviewees (H (2) = 8.02, η 2 = 0.06, p =.02). It is crucial to consider interpreters' perspectives when striving to improve the quality of interpreter-mediated child forensic interviews. Interpreters should be provided sufficient information to prepare and assess their suitability. Interpreters should also be offered education in interpreting child forensic interviews and given appropriate service structures to support their wellbeing. • Interpreters face various challenges when interpreting child forensic interviews. • Good communication between interpreters and forensic interviewers is essential. • Interpreters need prior information to assess their suitability and prepare. • Interpreters prefer interpreting child interviews on-site instead of via telephone. • Interpreters' education and training in interpreting child interviews is limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]