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Psychiatry and Psychology

Wilfrid Laurier University

Investigative interviewing

Publication Year

Articles 1 - 3 of 3

Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences

Prosecutors’ Perceptions On Questioning Children About Repeated Abuse, Kim Roberts, Martine Powell, Kimberlee S. Burrows, Sonja P. Brubacher Feb 2017

Prosecutors’ Perceptions On Questioning Children About Repeated Abuse, Kim Roberts, Martine Powell, Kimberlee S. Burrows, Sonja P. Brubacher

Psychology Faculty Publications

The purpose of the present study was to elicit guidance from prosecutors across Australia on questioning children about repeated events. Two focus groups were conducted; the first sought broad feedback concerning questioning children about repeated events. The second focused more specifically on eliciting feedback about techniques for aiding children in describing specific instances of repeated events. These techniques were derived either from empirical research, best practice interview guidelines, or both. Data from both focus groups were compiled because themes were highly similar. Thematic analysis of the focus group discussions revealed three broad themes in prosecutors’ perceptions about questioning children about …


Observations From Canadian Practitioners About The Investigation And Prosecution Of Crimes Involving Child And Adult Witnesses, Sean Curtis Cameron, Kim P. Roberts Jan 2015

Observations From Canadian Practitioners About The Investigation And Prosecution Of Crimes Involving Child And Adult Witnesses, Sean Curtis Cameron, Kim P. Roberts

Psychology Faculty Publications

Hundreds of scientific studies on the competencies and limitations of eyewitnesses have been published, but few have sought input from front-line forensic interviewers. In the current study, a research agenda was established with in-depth input from 13 forensic interviewers. Interviewers indicated which techniques they use most often, rated the usefulness of various interview techniques, and disclosed common challenges when interviewing. Although many recommended techniques were used (e.g., the Cognitive Interview and Rapport Building), some techniques shown to be effective in eliciting quality testimony in scientific studies were not always used or considered useful by front-line interviewers (e.g., permission to correct …


Children’S Use Of A ‘Time Line’ To Indicate When Events Occurred, Leanne L. Gosse, Kim P. Roberts Jan 2014

Children’S Use Of A ‘Time Line’ To Indicate When Events Occurred, Leanne L. Gosse, Kim P. Roberts

Psychology Faculty Publications

Children who allege abuse are often asked to provide temporal information such as when the events occurred. Yet, young children often have difficulty recalling temporal information due to their limited knowledge of temporal patterns and linguistic capabilities. As time is an abstract concept (we cannot see it), some investigators have begun to use ‘time-lines’ or pictorial representations of time to aid children. Yet, there is no published research testing whether children are able to use time-lines and whether they can provide adequate temporal information using them. We tested whether children could indicate the time-of-day of events using a pictorial time-line …