More Than One Interview: When, Why, and How?

The forensic interview (FI) of a child is an essential component of any investigation, with an emphasis given to providing a timely initial response and the provision of information and support throughout the process. Attention has historically been paid to minimizing the number of times a child is questioned, especially avoiding duplicative interviews. Forensic interviewers, as well as law enforcement and child protection investigators, recognize the shortcomings of a “one and done” approach in interviewing a subset of children. Reasons might be child-specific (shyness in a new situation, communication challenges, fatigue, reluctance to talk about difficult topics) or case-related (multiple episodes of abuse or multiple forms of victimization, etc.). Research is informative as to the types of cases that are most appropriate for more than one interview session and gives guidance as to how to proceed. We will explore a decision-making process for selecting appropriate cases and case planning and adaptations.

This training is most helpful for interviewers who have developed basic FI skills and are comfortable with conducting single-session forensic interviews of child witnesses. Interviewers should have already completed a nationally recognized forensic interviewer training and conducted at least 50 forensic interviews. Information and registration here.