Which interviewing practice is recommended when interviewing a child in abuse cases to preserve evidence?

Which interviewing practice is recommended when interviewing a child in abuse cases to preserve evidence?

• A. Interview the child with the caregiver present at all times.
• B. Interview separately from caregivers.
• C. Interview only with the abuser present.
• D. Avoid interviewing the child to prevent distress.

Answer: (B)

Best practice is to interview the child separately from caregivers. This separation helps preserve evidence by reducing the chance that an adult’s presence will coach, pressure, or influence what the child says. When caregivers are in the room, they can unintentionally steer responses, cause the child to tailor answers to please or please the adult, or create fear that hinders truthful disclosure. Interviewing the child alone—often in a child-friendly setting and using open-ended questions—helps capture an independent account and keeps the information as accurate as possible for investigative purposes. Other approaches, such as interviewing the abuser present or avoiding interviewing the child, would contaminate the child’s account and miss essential firsthand information.

Best practice is to interview the child separately from caregivers. This separation helps preserve evidence by reducing the chance that an adult’s presence will coach, pressure, or influence what the child says. When caregivers are in the room, they can unintentionally steer responses, cause the child to tailor answers to please or please the adult, or create fear that hinders truthful disclosure. Interviewing the child alone—often in a child-friendly setting and using open-ended questions—helps capture an independent account and keeps the information as accurate as possible for investigative purposes. Other approaches, such as interviewing the abuser present or avoiding interviewing the child, would contaminate the child’s account and miss essential firsthand information.