Forensic interviewing is a critical component in investigations, requiring a nuanced approach to gather accurate information while ensuring the interviewee’s well-being. Adhering to established best-practice guidelines enhances the effectiveness and integrity of these interviews. Below, we explore five foundational guidelines that underpin effective forensic interviewing models. Forensic interviewing should be: memory informed, client centred, strength based, culturally agile, and trauma informed.
1. Memory Informed
A memory-informed interview uses research-based strategies to enhance memory retrieval while minimizing memory errors, false memories, and other forms of contamination[1]. Understanding the complexities of human memory is essential for asking interview questions that elicit accurate and complete recall.
Key Benefits:
- Protects the integrity of memory evidence.
- Enhances the quantity and accuracy of information gathered.
- Aligns investigative practices with scientific principles.
Interviewing Tips:
- Elicit free narratives by asking broad, open-ended questions like, “Tell me everything that happened?”
- Allow pauses after questions, giving the interviewee time to recall details.
- Ask focussed open-ended questions as needed and without leading information or suggesting that the client should know some specific detail.
- Distinguish between different types of memory: Is the interviewee discussing what generally happens (script memory), or what happened one specific time (episodic memory)?
2. Client Centred
A client-centred interviewer respects the interviewee’s circumstances, needs, autonomy, and perspective. This minimizes harm and maximizes the amount and quality of the information recalled.
Key Benefits:
- Encourages trust, cooperation, and openness.
- Reduces emotional distress and communication barriers.
- Aligns investigative practices with ethical standards.
Interviewing Tips:
- Schedule interviews when it is best for the interviewee – fatigue, hunger, and distractions are catalysts for errors and reluctance.
- Think about the interviewee’s perspective, including what details they’re likely able to recall and what information they may not be able to provide.
- Respect the interviewee’s disclosure process – allow them to choose when and how to report their experience.
- Be patient, assess the interviewee’s emotional state, and adjust your approach accordingly.
3. Strength Based
A strength-based interviewer identifies and utilizes an interviewee’s capabilities and resilience, adapting the interview to the interviewee’s strengths while accommodating challenges.Recognizing and leveraging the interviewee’s strengths facilitates the interview process. Focusing on abilities rather than limitations reduces stress and enhances information sharing.
Key Benefits:
- Empowers the interviewee and boosts confidence.
- Reduces stress, improving engagement and rapport.
- Enhances the quality and accuracy of information shared.
Interviewing Tips:
- When working with people with complex needs, don’t focus on their diagnosis. Rather, seek to understand their individual characteristics, and adapt accordingly.
- Identify, acknowledge and leverage the interviewee’s strengths throughout the interview.
- Use language that is appropriate for the interviewee’s communication style and developmental and educational level.
- Avoid interviewing techniques that are too complex for the interviewee.
4. Culturally Agile
Cultural agility involves acknowledging power imbalances with compassion and adapting to the interviewee’s cultural values and communication styles. Cultural differences can influence memory, communication, and perceptions of authority. Being culturally agile minimizes misunderstandings and fosters respect, improving interview outcomes.
Key Benefits:
- Reduces misinterpretations of behavior and language.
- Builds trust and rapport across cultural divides.
- Enhances ethical and inclusive practices.
Interviewing Tips:
- Educate yourself about the interviewee’s cultural background and norms prior to conducting an interview.
- Conduct the interview in the interviewee’s native language. If that is not possible, conduct the interview with a qualified interpreter.
- Make sure to clarify the meaning of words because language is understood in the context in which it is learned.
- Avoid assumptions, and instead, approach each interview with curiosity.
5. Trauma Informed
Research has shown that trauma impacts memory, emotional regulation, motivation, and communication. A trauma-informed interviewer applies research in this area to all aspects of the investigation and interview. Trauma-informed interviewing procedures create a safe, predictable, empowering, and compassionate environment.
Key Benefits:
- Reduces the risk of re-traumatization.
- Enhances the interviewee’s comfort and willingness to share information.
- Promotes accurate and comprehensive disclosures.
Interviewing Tips:
- Safety: Establish a secure setting at an appropriate time and place.
- Predictability: Clearly outline the interview process and maintain transparency to reduce anxiety.
- Empowerment: Offer the interviewee control over aspects of the process to foster autonomy.
- Compassion: Demonstrate empathy by actively listening and validating the interviewee’s feelings and experiences.
Conclusion
The StepWise 360 model is specifically designed to align with these best practice guidelines. By integrating principles that are memory informed, client centred, strength based, culturally agile, and trauma informed, the StepWise 360 model produces ethical, effective, and respectful investigative interviews. This approach balances investigative needs with the interviewee’s wellbeing, resulting in strong and defensible cases.
[1] Memory contamination refers to when memory is altered. This can be from an external source, such as a leading or suggestive question, or an internal source, such as an interviewee who reinterprets a foggy memory in light of new information. This can produce persistent inaccuracies in later memory recall and inconsistencies across multiple interviews.
