Preparing Children for Investigative Interviews: Rapport-Building, Instruction, and Evaluation

The present study examined (1) the ways investigative interviewers in forensic settings prepared children for substantive questioning, and (2) whether the techniques used and the amount of time spent in the pre-substantive phase were related to children's informativeness. Accuracy of the children's statements was not assessed. The sample included investigative interviews of a small sample of 75 alleged victims of sexual abuse in Malaysia, aged 5 to 15 years. Explanations of the conversational rules, purpose of the interview, and the children's roles as informants appeared to help the youngest children to be informative. The results also revealed possible limits to the potential benefits of rapport-building and suggest that interviewers should monitor the amount of time they spend preparing children for substantive questioning. Implications for addressing the limitations of the present research and directions for future research are discussed.