Talking to KidsTalking to KidsTalking to KidsTalking to KidsAngie ScottAngie Scott

Forensic Interview SpecialistForensic Interview SpecialistNational Child Protection Training CenterNational Child Protection Training Center

Adapted from Allison DeFeliceAdapted from Allison DeFelice

507-457-2892507-457-2892angela.scott@ndaa-apri.organgela.scott@ndaa-apri.org

“I know that you believe you understand what you think I said but I am not sure you

realize that what you heard is not what I meant”

Your Questions of a Child

• Should use the child’s language– Not adult language of jargon

• Should be specific and concrete– Not general and abstract

The Continuum of Questions

• Open-ended / Non-directed

• Focused / Direct

• Multiple Choice / Forced Choice

• Leading / Misleading

More Confidence

Less Confidence

Open-ended / Non-direct questions

Principle: Eliciting free Recall

• “Tell me about that.”• “What would you like to talk about

today?”• “Why are you here today?”

Focused / Direct

Principle: Eliciting focused recall

• “Tell me about your hand.”• “What did you see Dad do?”• “What did Mom say about coming here

today?”• “What did that feel like on your body?”

Multiple Choice / Forced choice

Principle: Selected Response

• Multiple Choice– “Was it in your room, his room, or

someplace else?”

• Forced Choice (yes/no, either/or)– “Do you have another daddy?”– “Did it happen one time or more than one

time?”

Leading / Misleading

Principle: forced Response

• “You’re scared to tell me, aren’t you?”

• “Your daddy hurt you, didn’t he?”• “Didn’t you tell your mommy

something different?”

Children under 7

• Avoid pronouns– “What did you tell your mommy about your

daddy?”– Vs. “What did you tell her about him?”

• Announce transitions– “I want to talk to you about your foot now.”

Children Under 7

• Qustions should be:– Simple and concrete

• Questions should not be:– Complex and abstract

Linguistic: Theirs

Children under 7

• Give fewer narrative responses• Give non-sequential responses• Make pronoun errors• Have an egocentric focus• Give idiosyncratic details

Linguistics: Theirs

Children over 7

• Are able to give more robust narratives• Pay more attention to sequence• Make fewer pronoun errors• Understand the need to explain• Give idiosyncratic details

We do not question childrenWe question one child at a

time.Anne Graffman Walker