Martine Powell
Biographic Data
| ID | 4127043 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Martine Powell |
| GIVEN NAMES | Martine |
| FAMILY NAME | Powell |
| SIGNATURE | POWELL M |
| AFFILIATIONS | Deakin University |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 23 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 22 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 23 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2001 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Psychological Outcomes for Investigators of Online Child Sexual Exploitation: Comparisons with Other Law Enforcement Investigators
Child sexual exploitation (CSE) investigators are required to view thousands of sexually graphic images involving children as part of their daily work, raising concerns about possible harmful occupational health effects. We administered a battery of 24 psychological scales to 141 current CSE investigators and 106 investigators engaged in other areas of policing. Fourteen scales focused on potential psychological outcomes of the investigators’ rol…
Investigating Atrocity Crimes: Between Advocacy and Justice
Criminal justice investigators of atrocity crimes work in the same space as Non-Governmental Organisations. Even if having different objectives and mandates in crisis zones, numerous NGOs are also investigating or collecting evidence in the process of pursuing their other mandates, as was observed recently in Ukraine or Rohingya refugee camps. This can cause problems for the investigators of international crimes, and their work of collecting evid…
Police Recruits’ Perceptions of the Utility of Body-Worn Cameras as a Training Tool
Concerns about police behavior, especially police use of force, necessitate the identification of training procedures that optimize learning outcomes for police. This study explored the potential of body-worn cameras (BWCs) as a feedback tool during police training. Police recruits ( N = 111) who had experienced a simulated use of force scenario and observed their BWC footage of that event were asked open-ended questions about their experiences o…
Police recruits’ perceptions of the utility of viewing body-worn camera footage following use-of-force incidents
The influence of self-assessment practices on online training for investigative interviewing skills
This paper investigates how 192 trainees’ self-assessment practices and personal attributes related to their success in an online interview training program. Performance was measured pre- and post-training by evaluating the use of open-ended questions and positive interviewing behaviors. Personal data and a pre-training survey on self-assessment practices (i.e., SEFI, seeking external feedback through inquiry; SEFM, seeking external feedback thro…
Police Investigators’ Perceptions of the Challenges Associated With Interviewing Adult Sexual Assault Complainants
Although police organizations have devoted considerable effort to training investigators in evidence-based witness interviewing techniques, there is some suggestion that current practices do not meet the multifaceted requirements of sexual assault cases. Here, we assessed the specific challenges inherent in conducting interviews with adult sexual assault complainants, by conducting in-depth interviews with 21 experienced investigators from both A…
When good intentions are not enough: Professionals’ perceptions of the South Australian communication partner scheme
Children and other vulnerable parties such as those with a cognitive, social or communication impairment frequently struggle to understand, and be understood in, the criminal justice environment. One way this has been addressed in jurisdictions around Australia and overseas is through the introduction of intermediary (or communication partner) schemes, whereby an independent third party assists vulnerable witnesses, and in some cases, defendants,…
Online child sexual offenders' language use in real-time chats
We analysed chat log communications between 38 adult males and children who were accessed by the men via social media for sexually exploitative purposes. Our goal was to understand how sexual offenders engage with children online and the dialogue they use to elicit compliance with sexual requests. Results revealed 72 discrete linguistic tactics, contained within eight overarching dialogue-based ‘moves’. Tactics were non-sequential (ie dynamic) an…
Association between Interview Quality and Child Sexual Abuse Trial Outcome
Prosecutorial Discretion about Special Measure Use in Australian Cases of Child Sexual Abuse
A Prosecutorial Reform Index developed for the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative included discretionary functions among 28 factors that provide "an empirical basis for examining the status and role of prosecutors and the environment in which they work in transitioning states throughout the globe". The chapter examines contemporary practices in Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) cases to present the complainant's evidence by reviewing prosecut…
Indigenous Perspectives on Operation Reset: An Initiative to Improve the Identification and Prosecution of Child Sexual Abuse Incidents in Remote Indigenous Communities
ObjectiveChild sexual abuse in remote Indigenous communities is prevalent and damaging, and finding solutions has been challenging. This study is an evaluation of Indigenous stakeholders’ experiences of an intervention aimed at addressing child sexual abuse in remote Indigenous communities in Western Australia.MethodNine interviews were analysed using a thematic analysis methodology. Interviewees included family members of children who had been s…
The attrition of indigenous and non-indigenous child sexual abuse cases in two Australian jurisdictions
Indigenous children are significantly more likely to be victims of sexual abuse than non-Indigenous children. To investigate justice outcomes for Indigenous children, we aimed in this study to compare Indigenous versus non-Indigenous cases of suspected child sexual abuse as they proceed through the criminal justice system in 2 Australian jurisdictions. In Study 1, case progression of the 2 groups was compared at the following 5 stages: Forensic d…
Australian police officers' perceptions of sex offender registries
Sex offender registration schemes exist in most English speaking countries to assist police in the investigation of new crimes and to deter known offenders. To date, however, very little research has examined the efficacy of these registers. This study addresses this issue by providing the first qualitative analysis of police officers' perceptions of registration schemes. Twenty-four Australian police professionals (whose jobs were primarily asso…
Evaluating police interviewing practices with suspects in child-sexual abuse cases
This article examined adherence to current best practice recommendations for police interviewing of individuals suspected of committing child-sexual offences. We analysed 81 police records of interviews (electronically recorded and then transcribed) with suspects in child-sexual abuse cases in England and Australia. Overall we found areas of skilled practice, indicating that police interviewing in Australia and England is in a far better place th…
Prosecutors' recommendations for improving child witness statements about sexual abuse
Child sexual abuse cases are often not prosecuted because of poor evidential quality. The aim of this study was to elicit suggestions from prosecutors as to how investigative interviews with child witnesses (the main form of evidence in child abuse cases) could be improved. Thirty-six in-depth phone interviews were held with 19 trial prosecutors shortly before and after trials. For each case, prosecutors were asked to provide feedback about the s…
A New Child Protection Strategy for Aboriginal Communities in Western Australia
Despite numerous government inquiries and reforms, child sexual abuse in remote Aboriginal communities is a well-documented, ongoing problem. Established in Western Australia in 2009, Operation RESET is a multi-agency proactive community engagement initiative designed to improve the ability of communities and supporting agencies to detect, respond to and prevent child sexual abuse through the implementation of community engagement, capacity build…
Retrieval of episodic versus generic information: Does the order of recall affect the amount and accuracy of details reported by children about repeated events
Children (N = 157) 4 to 8 years old participated 1 time (single) or 4 times (repeated) in an interactive event. Across each condition, half were questioned a week later about the only or a specific occurrence of the event (depth first) and then about what usually happens. Half were prompted in the reverse order (breadth first). Children with repeated experience who first were asked about what usually happens reported more event-related informatio…
Effects of practicing episodic versus scripted recall on children's subsequent narratives of a repeated event
Children (N = 240) ages 5 to 8 years participated in 1 or 4 activity sessions involving interactive tasks (e.g., completing a puzzle); children with single-event participation served as a control group. One week after their last/only session, all children were practiced in episodic recall of unrelated experiences by asking about either the (a) a single-experience event, (b) a specific instance of a repeated event, or (c) scripted recall of a seri…
Family Functioning, Parental Psychological Distress and Child Behaviours: Evidence from the Victorian Child Health and Wellbeing Study
We examined, using data from the 2006 Victorian Child Health and Wellbeing Study (VCHWS), whether family functioning is associated with parental psychological distress and children's behavioural difficulties. The VCHWS was a statewide cross‐sectional telephone survey to 5,000 randomly selected primary caregivers of 0‐ to 12‐year‐old children between October 2005 and March 2006. Only parents or guardians of children aged 4–12-years (n = 3,370) wer…
Particularisation of Child Abuse Offences: Common Problems when Questioning Child Witnesses
Prosecuting child abusers is often difficult due to lack of particularising details. Two possible ways of addressing this difficulty are: (a) to change the justice system to better serve prosecution for repeated offences (i.e., allow generic testimony), and (b) to bolster children's testimony. As this article has illustrated, there is still considerable potential for increasing (b). Given the low prosecution rates of child abuse offences, the nee…
Interviewing juvenile offenders: The importance of oral language competence
A police officer is interviewing a 14 year-old 'frequent flyer' in the juvenile justice system. In an effort to gauge the extent of this young man's recent exploits, the police officer poses the following question: 'So -could you have stolen upwards of twenty cars?' 'Ye-eh' replied the young offender indignantly 'Of course
A Guide to Interviewing Children: Essential Skills for Counsellors, Police, Lawyers and Social Workers
n\t\t\t\t\tThis book has been written by two people who really understand children. [They show how to] create opportunities to reduce the trauma of the interview and significantly improve the quality of the information obtained. Chief Constable A.J. Butler Gloucestershire Constabulary A few years ago, a Chief Justice said that it was unnecessary to educate lawyers and judges in the techniques of interviewing children because it was 'just common s…
Guide to Interviewing Children: Essential Skills for Counsellors, Police, Lawyers and Social Workers
Retrieval of episodic versus generic information: Does the order of recall affect the amount and accuracy of details reported by children about repeated events
Children (N = 157) 4 to 8 years old participated 1 time (single) or 4 times (repeated) in an interactive event. Across each condition, half were questioned a week later about the only or a specific occurrence of the event (depth first) and then about what usually happens. Half were prompted in the reverse order (breadth first). Children with repeated experience who first were asked about what usually happens reported more event-related informatio…
Effects of practicing episodic versus scripted recall on children's subsequent narratives of a repeated event
Children (N = 240) ages 5 to 8 years participated in 1 or 4 activity sessions involving interactive tasks (e.g., completing a puzzle); children with single-event participation served as a control group. One week after their last/only session, all children were practiced in episodic recall of unrelated experiences by asking about either the (a) a single-experience event, (b) a specific instance of a repeated event, or (c) scripted recall of a seri…
Prosecutors' recommendations for improving child witness statements about sexual abuse
Child sexual abuse cases are often not prosecuted because of poor evidential quality. The aim of this study was to elicit suggestions from prosecutors as to how investigative interviews with child witnesses (the main form of evidence in child abuse cases) could be improved. Thirty-six in-depth phone interviews were held with 19 trial prosecutors shortly before and after trials. For each case, prosecutors were asked to provide feedback about the s…
Family Functioning, Parental Psychological Distress and Child Behaviours: Evidence from the Victorian Child Health and Wellbeing Study
We examined, using data from the 2006 Victorian Child Health and Wellbeing Study (VCHWS), whether family functioning is associated with parental psychological distress and children's behavioural difficulties. The VCHWS was a statewide cross‐sectional telephone survey to 5,000 randomly selected primary caregivers of 0‐ to 12‐year‐old children between October 2005 and March 2006. Only parents or guardians of children aged 4–12-years (n = 3,370) wer…
Australian police officers' perceptions of sex offender registries
Sex offender registration schemes exist in most English speaking countries to assist police in the investigation of new crimes and to deter known offenders. To date, however, very little research has examined the efficacy of these registers. This study addresses this issue by providing the first qualitative analysis of police officers' perceptions of registration schemes. Twenty-four Australian police professionals (whose jobs were primarily asso…
A Guide to Interviewing Children: Essential Skills for Counsellors, Police, Lawyers and Social Workers
n\t\t\t\t\tThis book has been written by two people who really understand children. [They show how to] create opportunities to reduce the trauma of the interview and significantly improve the quality of the information obtained. Chief Constable A.J. Butler Gloucestershire Constabulary A few years ago, a Chief Justice said that it was unnecessary to educate lawyers and judges in the techniques of interviewing children because it was 'just common s…
Evaluating police interviewing practices with suspects in child-sexual abuse cases
This article examined adherence to current best practice recommendations for police interviewing of individuals suspected of committing child-sexual offences. We analysed 81 police records of interviews (electronically recorded and then transcribed) with suspects in child-sexual abuse cases in England and Australia. Overall we found areas of skilled practice, indicating that police interviewing in Australia and England is in a far better place th…
Guide to Interviewing Children: Essential Skills for Counsellors, Police, Lawyers and Social Workers
A Guide to Interviewing Children: Essential Skills for Counsellors, Police, Lawyers and Social Workers
n\t\t\t\t\tThis book has been written by two people who really understand children. [They show how to] create opportunities to reduce the trauma of the interview and significantly improve the quality of the information obtained. Chief Constable A.J. Butler Gloucestershire Constabulary A few years ago, a Chief Justice said that it was unnecessary to educate lawyers and judges in the techniques of interviewing children because it was 'just common s…
Interviewing juvenile offenders: The importance of oral language competence
A police officer is interviewing a 14 year-old 'frequent flyer' in the juvenile justice system. In an effort to gauge the extent of this young man's recent exploits, the police officer poses the following question: 'So -could you have stolen upwards of twenty cars?' 'Ye-eh' replied the young offender indignantly 'Of course
Particularisation of Child Abuse Offences: Common Problems when Questioning Child Witnesses
Prosecuting child abusers is often difficult due to lack of particularising details. Two possible ways of addressing this difficulty are: (a) to change the justice system to better serve prosecution for repeated offences (i.e., allow generic testimony), and (b) to bolster children's testimony. As this article has illustrated, there is still considerable potential for increasing (b). Given the low prosecution rates of child abuse offences, the nee…
Effects of practicing episodic versus scripted recall on children's subsequent narratives of a repeated event
Children (N = 240) ages 5 to 8 years participated in 1 or 4 activity sessions involving interactive tasks (e.g., completing a puzzle); children with single-event participation served as a control group. One week after their last/only session, all children were practiced in episodic recall of unrelated experiences by asking about either the (a) a single-experience event, (b) a specific instance of a repeated event, or (c) scripted recall of a seri…
Family Functioning, Parental Psychological Distress and Child Behaviours: Evidence from the Victorian Child Health and Wellbeing Study
We examined, using data from the 2006 Victorian Child Health and Wellbeing Study (VCHWS), whether family functioning is associated with parental psychological distress and children's behavioural difficulties. The VCHWS was a statewide cross‐sectional telephone survey to 5,000 randomly selected primary caregivers of 0‐ to 12‐year‐old children between October 2005 and March 2006. Only parents or guardians of children aged 4–12-years (n = 3,370) wer…
A New Child Protection Strategy for Aboriginal Communities in Western Australia
Despite numerous government inquiries and reforms, child sexual abuse in remote Aboriginal communities is a well-documented, ongoing problem. Established in Western Australia in 2009, Operation RESET is a multi-agency proactive community engagement initiative designed to improve the ability of communities and supporting agencies to detect, respond to and prevent child sexual abuse through the implementation of community engagement, capacity build…
Retrieval of episodic versus generic information: Does the order of recall affect the amount and accuracy of details reported by children about repeated events
Children (N = 157) 4 to 8 years old participated 1 time (single) or 4 times (repeated) in an interactive event. Across each condition, half were questioned a week later about the only or a specific occurrence of the event (depth first) and then about what usually happens. Half were prompted in the reverse order (breadth first). Children with repeated experience who first were asked about what usually happens reported more event-related informatio…
Australian police officers' perceptions of sex offender registries
Sex offender registration schemes exist in most English speaking countries to assist police in the investigation of new crimes and to deter known offenders. To date, however, very little research has examined the efficacy of these registers. This study addresses this issue by providing the first qualitative analysis of police officers' perceptions of registration schemes. Twenty-four Australian police professionals (whose jobs were primarily asso…
Evaluating police interviewing practices with suspects in child-sexual abuse cases
This article examined adherence to current best practice recommendations for police interviewing of individuals suspected of committing child-sexual offences. We analysed 81 police records of interviews (electronically recorded and then transcribed) with suspects in child-sexual abuse cases in England and Australia. Overall we found areas of skilled practice, indicating that police interviewing in Australia and England is in a far better place th…
Prosecutors' recommendations for improving child witness statements about sexual abuse
Child sexual abuse cases are often not prosecuted because of poor evidential quality. The aim of this study was to elicit suggestions from prosecutors as to how investigative interviews with child witnesses (the main form of evidence in child abuse cases) could be improved. Thirty-six in-depth phone interviews were held with 19 trial prosecutors shortly before and after trials. For each case, prosecutors were asked to provide feedback about the s…
The attrition of indigenous and non-indigenous child sexual abuse cases in two Australian jurisdictions
Indigenous children are significantly more likely to be victims of sexual abuse than non-Indigenous children. To investigate justice outcomes for Indigenous children, we aimed in this study to compare Indigenous versus non-Indigenous cases of suspected child sexual abuse as they proceed through the criminal justice system in 2 Australian jurisdictions. In Study 1, case progression of the 2 groups was compared at the following 5 stages: Forensic d…
Prosecutorial Discretion about Special Measure Use in Australian Cases of Child Sexual Abuse
A Prosecutorial Reform Index developed for the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative included discretionary functions among 28 factors that provide "an empirical basis for examining the status and role of prosecutors and the environment in which they work in transitioning states throughout the globe". The chapter examines contemporary practices in Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) cases to present the complainant's evidence by reviewing prosecut…
Indigenous Perspectives on Operation Reset: An Initiative to Improve the Identification and Prosecution of Child Sexual Abuse Incidents in Remote Indigenous Communities
ObjectiveChild sexual abuse in remote Indigenous communities is prevalent and damaging, and finding solutions has been challenging. This study is an evaluation of Indigenous stakeholders’ experiences of an intervention aimed at addressing child sexual abuse in remote Indigenous communities in Western Australia.MethodNine interviews were analysed using a thematic analysis methodology. Interviewees included family members of children who had been s…
Association between Interview Quality and Child Sexual Abuse Trial Outcome
Online child sexual offenders' language use in real-time chats
We analysed chat log communications between 38 adult males and children who were accessed by the men via social media for sexually exploitative purposes. Our goal was to understand how sexual offenders engage with children online and the dialogue they use to elicit compliance with sexual requests. Results revealed 72 discrete linguistic tactics, contained within eight overarching dialogue-based ‘moves’. Tactics were non-sequential (ie dynamic) an…
Police Investigators’ Perceptions of the Challenges Associated With Interviewing Adult Sexual Assault Complainants
Although police organizations have devoted considerable effort to training investigators in evidence-based witness interviewing techniques, there is some suggestion that current practices do not meet the multifaceted requirements of sexual assault cases. Here, we assessed the specific challenges inherent in conducting interviews with adult sexual assault complainants, by conducting in-depth interviews with 21 experienced investigators from both A…
When good intentions are not enough: Professionals’ perceptions of the South Australian communication partner scheme
Children and other vulnerable parties such as those with a cognitive, social or communication impairment frequently struggle to understand, and be understood in, the criminal justice environment. One way this has been addressed in jurisdictions around Australia and overseas is through the introduction of intermediary (or communication partner) schemes, whereby an independent third party assists vulnerable witnesses, and in some cases, defendants,…
The influence of self-assessment practices on online training for investigative interviewing skills
This paper investigates how 192 trainees’ self-assessment practices and personal attributes related to their success in an online interview training program. Performance was measured pre- and post-training by evaluating the use of open-ended questions and positive interviewing behaviors. Personal data and a pre-training survey on self-assessment practices (i.e., SEFI, seeking external feedback through inquiry; SEFM, seeking external feedback thro…
Police Recruits’ Perceptions of the Utility of Body-Worn Cameras as a Training Tool
Concerns about police behavior, especially police use of force, necessitate the identification of training procedures that optimize learning outcomes for police. This study explored the potential of body-worn cameras (BWCs) as a feedback tool during police training. Police recruits ( N = 111) who had experienced a simulated use of force scenario and observed their BWC footage of that event were asked open-ended questions about their experiences o…
Police recruits’ perceptions of the utility of viewing body-worn camera footage following use-of-force incidents
Psychological Outcomes for Investigators of Online Child Sexual Exploitation: Comparisons with Other Law Enforcement Investigators
Child sexual exploitation (CSE) investigators are required to view thousands of sexually graphic images involving children as part of their daily work, raising concerns about possible harmful occupational health effects. We administered a battery of 24 psychological scales to 141 current CSE investigators and 106 investigators engaged in other areas of policing. Fourteen scales focused on potential psychological outcomes of the investigators’ rol…
Investigating Atrocity Crimes: Between Advocacy and Justice
Criminal justice investigators of atrocity crimes work in the same space as Non-Governmental Organisations. Even if having different objectives and mandates in crisis zones, numerous NGOs are also investigating or collecting evidence in the process of pursuing their other mandates, as was observed recently in Ukraine or Rohingya refugee camps. This can cause problems for the investigators of international crimes, and their work of collecting evid…
Psychology (18 works) · Medicine (13 works) · Law (12 works) · Political science (12 works) · Criminology (11 works) · Law (11 works) · Poison control (11 works) · Suicide prevention (9 works) · Interview (8 works) · Medical emergency (8 works)