Investigative Interviews of Children: A Review of Psychological Research and Implications for Police Practices

Abstract

Historically, children were considered incompetent courtroom witnesses. However, legal barriers that once prevented children from offering courtroom testimony have been largely removed. In recent decades, police agencies have been flooded with reports of child maltreatment. In response to the increasing presence of children in forensic settings, researchers have begun to examine the efficacy of methods used to interview children. The purpose of this article is to review recent research on interviewing children. Both interview practices that appear effective in eliciting accurate testimony and practices that have been shown to produce erroneous testimony from children are discussed. Implications for police practices and policy are discussed.