Repeated questions in police interviews with young children alleging abuse Sarah Krähenbühl

Presentation structure BackgroundBackground ProcedureProcedure Police transcripts studyPolice transcripts study Implications for interviewingImplications for interviewing Current and future researchCurrent and future research

Experimental research Peterson, C. (2002) - long term memory interviewsPeterson, C. (2002) - long term memory interviews Orbach, Y. et al (2000) - value of interviewing protocolsOrbach, Y. et al (2000) - value of interviewing protocols Quas, J., & Schaaf, J. M. (2002) - repeated interviews and suggestibilityQuas, J., & Schaaf, J. M. (2002) - repeated interviews and suggestibility Memon, A., & Vartoukian, R. (1996) - repeated questions within interviewsMemon, A., & Vartoukian, R. (1996) - repeated questions within interviews Background 1

Police transcript studies Cederborg, A.-C et al (2000) - questions used to elicit information in investigative interviewsCederborg, A.-C et al (2000) - questions used to elicit information in investigative interviews Lamb, M. E., & Fauchier, A. (2001) - relationship between question type and contradictions in interviewsLamb, M. E., & Fauchier, A. (2001) - relationship between question type and contradictions in interviews Hershkowitz, I. (2001) - effect of open-ended questions on children’s responsesHershkowitz, I. (2001) - effect of open-ended questions on children’s responses Warren, A. R. et al (1996) - are guidelines actually being followed in practice?Warren, A. R. et al (1996) - are guidelines actually being followed in practice? Background 2

Interviewing protocol recommendation Achieving Best Evidence, Home Office, 2001, section 2.122, p.45 Background 3 “Specific questions should not be repeated in the same form… children may interpret this as a criticism of their earlier response and sometimes change their response as a consequence…”

Repetition defined as: when an initial utterance is repeated either in the same or a different form concerning the same subject of response Transcript study

Stages identifiedStages identified Incidences of repetition - coded for:Incidences of repetition - coded for: 1.position in interview 2.number of repetition sets in stage 3.number of repetitions in set 4.consequence 5.style 6.purpose according to context Procedure

Neutral original misheard original misheard linguistic error linguistic error language language recording levels recording levels With motive identical identical open-ended to closed open-ended to closed closed to open-ended closed to open-ended gist gist answer suggested answer suggested Procedure Repetition coding

Purpose coding to summarise or return to a previous sectionto summarise or return to a previous section to clarify or verifyto clarify or verify when the interviewee has misheardwhen the interviewee has misheard to encourage elaborationto encourage elaboration first response irrelevantfirst response irrelevant no response given to originalno response given to original leadingleading ask again - default categoryask again - default category Procedure

Recorded information 1 Interview length: minutes, mean length = 40 minutes minutes, mean length = 40 minutes (SD = 19 minutes) alleged abuse variedalleged abuse varied all interviewers trained in interviewing protocolall interviewers trained in interviewing protocol 95 transcripts, 28 males, 67 females year olds year olds year olds year olds year olds year olds year olds year olds Transcripts

Recorded information 2 Age group Professional opinion - abuse had occurred… 76%95%79%89% …of which went to court 38%83%93%97% Transcripts

General results Repetition found: 98% contained repetition98% contained repetition free recall = 86%+ in all age groups except in 4-5-year olds (62%)free recall = 86%+ in all age groups except in 4-5-year olds (62%) Age/stage Rapport 95%74%90%61% Free recall 46%35%44%23% Transcripts

Questioning stage results 1 In the questioning stage 56% of all questions were involved in repetition Transcripts

Questioning stage results 2 Age Average number of questions involved in repetition Stayed the same 32%24%28%26% Added to original 9%20%19%19% Novel or novel related 59%56%53%55% Transcripts

General repetition results 1 Transcripts

General repetition results 2 Transcripts

Implications Interviewing protocols are not being followed in practice Repetition is common but is a practical necessity Repetition is common but is a practical necessity Repetition does result in changes in response but this is not necessarily negative Repetition does result in changes in response but this is not necessarily negative Open-ended questions do not dominate Open-ended questions do not dominate Age is a factor in determining interview style Age is a factor in determining interview style

to establish whether repetition style has an effect on accuracy and change in responses to establish whether repetition style has an effect on accuracy and change in responses to establish whether the time/amount of utterances between repetition effects responses to establish whether the time/amount of utterances between repetition effects responses Current and future research Accuracy of responses in the transcripts cannot be verified, therefore….

Thank-you Thanks to Dr. H.Westcott of the Open University, Dr. M.Blades, University of Sheffield, Mr. and Mrs. Dodd, children and staff of Leek First, Westwood and Woodcroft First Schools, Leek, Staffordshire.