Support, reluctance, and production in child abuse investigative interviews

Child abuse victims are required to participate in stressful forensic investigations but often fail to fully report details about their victimization. Especially in intrafamilial abuse cases, children’s emotional states presumably involve reluctance to report abuse. The current study examined the effects of interviewers’ support on children’s reluctance and production of information when interviewed. The sample comprised 200 interviews of 6- to 14-year-old suspected victims of physical abuse perpetrated by a family member. Interviews followed the NICHD (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) Revised Protocol (RP), which emphasizes supportive practices. All the cases were corroborated by external evidence, suggesting that the reports of abuse made by the children were valid. Coders identified instances of interviewer support and questioning, as well as indications of reluctance and the production of forensic details by the children. Expressions of reluctance predicted that information was less likely to be provided in that utterance, whereas expressions of support predicted less reluctance and increased informativeness in the following child utterance. Mediation analyses revealed that decreased reluctance partially mediated the effects of support on increased informativeness. The data indicate that support can effectively address children’s reluctance, resulting in increased informativeness and thus confirming expert recommendations that supportive interviews should be considered best practice. The findings also shed light on the underlying mechanism of support, suggesting both direct and indirect effects on children’s informativeness

Economics · Magnetic reluctance · Medical emergency · Production (economics · Child Abuse and Trauma · Deception detection and forensic psychology · Engineering · Medicine · Memory Processes and Influences · Psychology

• Does Supportive Behavior Throughout Forensic Interviews Have a Cumulative Effect on Children's Cooperativeness?

  Open Access•Uri Blasbalg, Isaac Hershkowitz et al.•Applied Cognitive Psychology•2026

  Incluir item

• Effect of age, temperament, and drawing activity on the suggestibility of children

  Open Access•Seungjin Lee•Current Psychology•2024

  Incluir item

• Effects of caregiver support and interviewer attitude on the accuracy of children’s memory according to anxiety level

  Open Access•Seungjin Lee•Current Psychology•2024

  Incluir item

• Child Patient History Taking in Accident and Emergency (A&E) Settings

  Genevieve F Waterhouse, Debra Gray et al.•Health Communication•2026

  Incluir item

• Understanding expert testimony on child sexual abuse denial after New Jersey v. J.L.G

  Open Access•Thomas D Lyons, Shanna Williams et al.•Behavioral Sciences & the Law•2020

  Incluir item

• Children’s stress and inattention during forensic interviews

  Élie Côté, Mireille Cyr et al.•Police Practice and Research•2024

  Incluir item

• Experimentally testing effects of rapport and age on children’s transgression reports during a virtual interview

  Quincy C Miller, Joanna Peplak et al.•Applied Developmental Science•2026

  Incluir item

• Sequential Analysis and Observational Methods for the Behavioral Sciences

  Open Access•Roger Bakeman, Vicenç Quera•Sequential Analysis and…•2011

  Incluir item

• Factors influencing children to self-disclose sexual abuse

  Open Access•Mary Lou Paine, David J Hansen•Clinical Psychology Review•2002

  Incluir item

• Why children tell

  Open Access•Tina B Goodman-Brown, Robin S Edelstein et al.•Child Abuse & Neglect•2003

  Incluir item

• A structured forensic interview protocol improves the quality and informativeness of investigative interviews with children

  Open Access•Michael E Lamb, Yael Orbach et al.•Child Abuse & Neglect•2007

  Incluir item

• Assessing the value of structured protocols for forensic interviews of alleged child abuse victims

  Open Access•Yael Orbach, Isaac Hershkowitz et al.•Child Abuse & Neglect•2000

  Incluir item

• Mediation

  Open Access•Dustin Tingley, T Yamamoto et al.•Journal of Statistical Software•2014

  Incluir item

• Fitting Linear Mixed-Effects Models Using lme4

  Open Access•David M Bates, Douglas Bates et al.•Journal of Statistical Software•2015

  Incluir item

• Examining reluctance and emotional support in forensic interviews with child victims of substantiated physical abuse

  Elizabeth C Ahern, Isaac Hershkowitz et al.•Applied Developmental Science•2019

  Incluir item

• Suggestibility of the child witness

  Stephen J Ceci, Maggie Bruck•Psychological Bulletin•1993

  Incluir item

• Answering the Call for a Standard Reliability Measure for Coding Data

  Andrew F Hayes, Klaus Krippendorff•Communication Methods and Measures•2007

  Incluir item

• Psychology and child protection

  Theodore P Cro, Isaac Hershkowitz•Psychology Public Policy and Law•2017

  Incluir item

• Cues and secrets

  Margaret-Ellen Pipe, Margaret‐Ellen Pipe et al.•Developmental Psychology•1994

  Incluir item

• Difficulties translating research on forensic interview practices to practitioners

  Open Access•Michael E Lamb•American Psychologist•2016

  Incluir item

• Allegation rates in forensic child abuse investigations

  Isaac Hershkowitz, Irit Hershkowitz et al.•Psychology Public Policy and Law•2014

  Incluir item

• Disclosure of Child Sexual Abuse

  Kamala London, Maggie Bruck et al.•Psychology Public Policy and Law•2005

  Incluir item

• Does enhanced rapport-building alter the dynamics of investigative interviews with suspected victims of intra-familial abuse

  Open Access•Isaac Hershkowitz, Irit Hershkowitz et al.•Journal of Police and Criminal…•2013

  Incluir item

• A Primer on Multilevel Modeling

  Open Access•Andrew F Hayes•Human Communication Research•2006

  Incluir item