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

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study examined all three phases of 233 interviews with children aged 4–14 years ( M ± SD = 9.12 ± 2.56) who disclosed physical abuse by a parent. Of these, 79 were conducted using the Standard NICHD Protocol (SP) and 154 using the Revised NICHD Protocol (RP), which guides interviewers to build rapport, manage emotions, and ask appropriate questions. Use of the RP was linked to increased abuse‐related informativeness which was evident when interviewers provided more support in the presubstantive and transitional phases and used invitations in the substantive phase, while children expressed more emotions, provided more nonabuse‐related information in the presubstantive phase, and were less reluctant in the transitional phase. Associations between informativeness and (1) support in the transitional phase, (2) emotional expressiveness, and (3) reluctance were mediated by other factors. Findings highlight the cumulative benefits of supportive interviewing.