Interviewers’ perceptions of interviewing Aboriginal Australian children

Children from Indigenous cultures experience higher rates of abuse than non-Indigenous children, and their cases face extra challenges progressing through the legal system. When abuse is reported, an investigative interview is conducted with the child. The current study aimed to examine interviewers’ perceptions of interviewing Aboriginal Australian children. Sixteen experienced interviewers participated in semi-structured interviews about their experiences interviewing Aboriginal children. Thematic analysis revealed three perceived challenges: engaging the children, communication differences, and obtaining evidential details. Creating strong rapport with the child, simplifying language, and adapting questioning approaches were reported as key strategies to help overcome these challenges, but the interviewers voiced a need for more support and targeted resources to assist them in their roles. This study highlights the need for highly specialist interviewers versed in Aboriginal culture, and the need for future research into the appropriateness of contemporary protocols for children from minority cultural groups.