The use and impact of repeated questions in diagnostic child abuse assessment interviews
Macleod, Emily
The use and impact of repeated questions in diagnostic child abuse assessment interviews Emily Macleod, Linda Hobbs, Anita Admiraal, David La Rooy and Tess Patterson - Taylor & Francis, 2021 - electronic document (179 pages) ; PDF file - Psychiatry, Psychology and Law .
Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, 2021, First published online, 26 May 2021
There is limited research regarding the use of repeated questions and the subsequent response from children in real-world forensic contexts. We analysed 71 transcripts of diagnostic assessments in which 3- to 6-year-olds were assessed for suspected abuse experiences. On average, 6% of interviewer questions were repeated, and 47% of the repeated questions were abuse-related. The majority (65%) of the repeated questions were directive, but 33% of the repeated questions contained implicit assumptions. Implicit assumption questions were more likely to be abuse-related. Interviewers repeated questions when the child failed to answer due to playing (31%), for no apparent reason (26%) or for clarification purposes (29%). Children most commonly responded to repeat questions by providing new information (64%), not responding at all (19%) or repeating information (12%). We recommend that interviewers avoid the use of suggestive and repeated questions that contain implicit assumptions in relation to assessment of suspected child abuse. (Authors' abstract). Record #7415
nz
ASSESSMENT
CHILD ABUSE
CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE
CHILDREN
DISCLOSURE
EVALUATION
INTERVENTION
INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES
NEW ZEALAND
362.76 INT
The use and impact of repeated questions in diagnostic child abuse assessment interviews Emily Macleod, Linda Hobbs, Anita Admiraal, David La Rooy and Tess Patterson - Taylor & Francis, 2021 - electronic document (179 pages) ; PDF file - Psychiatry, Psychology and Law .
Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, 2021, First published online, 26 May 2021
There is limited research regarding the use of repeated questions and the subsequent response from children in real-world forensic contexts. We analysed 71 transcripts of diagnostic assessments in which 3- to 6-year-olds were assessed for suspected abuse experiences. On average, 6% of interviewer questions were repeated, and 47% of the repeated questions were abuse-related. The majority (65%) of the repeated questions were directive, but 33% of the repeated questions contained implicit assumptions. Implicit assumption questions were more likely to be abuse-related. Interviewers repeated questions when the child failed to answer due to playing (31%), for no apparent reason (26%) or for clarification purposes (29%). Children most commonly responded to repeat questions by providing new information (64%), not responding at all (19%) or repeating information (12%). We recommend that interviewers avoid the use of suggestive and repeated questions that contain implicit assumptions in relation to assessment of suspected child abuse. (Authors' abstract). Record #7415
nz
ASSESSMENT
CHILD ABUSE
CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE
CHILDREN
DISCLOSURE
EVALUATION
INTERVENTION
INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES
NEW ZEALAND
362.76 INT