The effects of drawing on preschoolers' statements about experienced and non-experienced events

Although drawing is frequently used during investigative interviews, few studies have explored the effectiveness of draw-and-talk techniques with very young children. In this article, we examined the effects of drawing on preschoolers' (3-6 years old) reports of self-experienced and non-experienced events. In Study I, we interviewed 83 preschoolers about a staged event. We did not observe any significant statement differences between children asked to draw-and-talk compared to a verbal-only condition. In Study II, we interviewed 25 preschoolers about a nonexperienced event. Twenty-one children initially denied the event. When asked if they could help the interviewer draw a person from the event, 13 (61.9%) children complied with the request and eventually provided several false details. While drawing did not significantly increase the average number of details, exploratory findings indicated that drawing may have helped a subset of children. However, drawing might impair children's accuracy when suggestively interviewed about nonexperienced events.Peer reviewe

There was nothing but her story: Prosecution of alleged child sexual abuse of preschoolers

Investigating and prosecuting cases of alleged sexual abuse against young children is a challenge for legal practitioners worldwide. In Sweden, a prosecutor is in charge of both the preliminary child sexual abuse (CSA) investigation and the decision of whether or not to prosecute the case. The aim of this thesis is to shed a light on prosecutors’ experiences of and decision making in CSA cases involving preschool-aged children. Study I investigated prosecutors’ experiences of preparing for and prosecuting such cases. Specialized child prosecutors (6 women, 3 men) took part in either individual interviews or focus groups. The transcripts were analyzed thematically. The prosecutors said that children’s evidence was sometimes held to an adult standard and that children who expressed emotion could be perceived as more credible than their less expressive counterparts. Investigative interviews were reported to sometimes fail to meet the needs of the youngest children. Study II examined differences between prosecuted and discontinued cases of alleged sexual abuse of preschoolers. Data from Swedish criminal cases of alleged sexual abuse of children aged 2–6 were analyzed (N = 130). Prosecuted cases were more likely to contain forensic evidence (documentation of abuse, corroborative DNA evidence, a corroborative medi-cal examination) or a confession from the suspect, while such evidence was not available in any of the discontinued cases. Cases were also more likely to be prosecuted if they involved older children, multiple alleged victims, and forensic child interviews. Cases were more likely to be discontinued if there were ongoing custody disputes between parents, if the child, prior to the abuse, had been placed in foster care, and if the alleged victim was a boy. In Study III Swedish prosecutors specialized in managing cases involving children (N = 94) took part in a national survey regarding their work with alleged sexual abuse against preschoolers and their experiences of collaborating with police and Child Protective Services (CPS). Their responses, which were analyzed using quantitative and qualitative (thematic analysis) methods, showed that cases of alleged sexual abuse against preschoolers are particularly challenging for prosecutors, mainly because they often lack corroborative evidence and eliciting and evaluating testimony from young children is problematic. Around one third of the prosecutors reported that the clash of views between CPS and prosecutors was a potential source of conflict, and that an ongoing CPS investigation could negatively affect the criminal investigation. The quality of the forensic child interview was described as paramount to the investigation and as something that could be affect-ed both by the interviewer and by police resources. The results of these three studies suggest that prosecutors working on cases of alleged CSA against young children are faced with challenges related to obtaining evidence and evaluating testimony from preschoolers, the involvement of CPS, custody disputes, and lack of corroborating evidence. More expertise in child interviewing and in evaluating children’s testimony, improved collaboration with CPS, and investigations of alleged CSA using a hypothesis-testing approach could contribute to prosecutors’ work with these investigations

Interpreters’ experiences and knowledge of interpreting in child forensic interviews

A survey study on Swedish language interpreters’ experiences and knowledge of interpreting in child forensic interviews

"It doesn't work at all, that's my experience" : Swedish forensic interviewers' views on interpreter-mediated child interviews

Background: Legal practitioners have expressed concerns regarding the quality of interpreter mediated forensic interviews with child witnesses. Objective: This mixed-methods study aimed to examine Swedish forensic interviewers experiences of conducting child interviews via a language interpreter. Participants and setting: Forty-one forensic interviewers from the Swedish Police Authority with experience conducting interpreter-mediated child interviews participated in a digital survey. Methods: Their responses were analyzed using both qualitative (thematic and content analyses) and quantitative (descriptive and inferential statistics) approaches. Results: The forensic interviewers general experiences of conducting interpreter-mediated child interviews were negative. Limited access to authorized legal interpreters and doubts regarding the accuracy of interpretation were described as major obstacles in these investigations. The presence of an interpreter could negatively impact childrens disclosure process and limit their chances of expressing their views during legal proceedings. Conclusions: According to Swedish forensic interviewers, the quality of interpreter-mediated child interviews urgently needs to be addressed. Our results are consistent with previous surveys from Australia and the United States, highlighting the international relevance of these topics. Future improvements are vital to ensure that all children are provided an equal right to be heard during criminal investigations, regardless of the native language.Funding Agencies|Swedish Crime Victim Compensation and Support Authority [03120/2018]</p

Are judges influenced by legally irrelevant circumstances?

Judges should not be influenced by legally irrelevant circumstances in their legal decision making and judges generally believe that they manage legally irrelevant circumstances well. The purpose of this experimental study was to investigate whether this self-image is correct. Swedish judges (N = 256) read a vignette depicting a case of libel, where a female student had claimed on her blog that she had been sexually harassed by a named male professor. The professor had sued the student for libel and the student retracted her claim during the hearing. Half of the judges received irrelevant information - that the professor himself had been convicted of libel a year earlier, while the other half did not receive this information. For the outcome variable, the judges were asked to state how much compensation the student should pay the professor. Those judges who received information about the professor himself having been convicted of libel stated that he should be given significantly less compensation than those who did not receive the irrelevant information. The results show that the judges’ decision was affected by legally irrelevant circumstances. Implications for research and practice are discusse

Swedish Courts Evaluations of Interpreter-Mediated Child Investigative Interviews

Children can need the help of an interpreter if they are victims of a crime and need to be forensically interviewed in another language. Recent findings from practitioners raise concerns about the state of interpreter-mediated interviews with children. The current study aimed to explore how Swedish criminal courts reason when assessing interpreter-mediated and interpreter-absent (with children who are not fluent in Swedish) child investigative interviews. We conducted qualitative and descriptive analyses of written court verdicts involving 108 child victims who were evaluated to need an interpreter during their investigative interview. The courts frequently discussed issues regarding possible misinterpretations, language difficulties, and confusion. These perceived deficiencies in the interviews were often mentioned as a cause for assessing the childs testimony with caution and, in some cases, as lowering the evidential value of the child interview. Possible implications for childrens legal rights are discussed.Funding Agencies|Swedish Crime Victim Compensation and Support Authority [03120/2018]</p