The dynamics of investigative interviews with minors suspected of being victims of abuse
Even though adolescents represent a large proportion of victims of sexual abuse, few studies have focused on the investigative interviews that take place in such cases. This population differs from the child population in terms of cognition, psychology, and ability to develop relationships, which may influence the way police officers conduct interviews. To better understand the dynamics of such interviews, this study compares investigative interviews between child and adolescent victims of sexual abuse in terms of the types of questions asked by police officers, the kinds of responses by victims, and the relationship between the two. A total of 44 transcripts from children aged 7-10 years and adolescents aged 13-16 years were coded using grids to categorize question type and response given. Results suggest that, in contrast to interviews with children, police officers use more suggestive questions with adolescents and adolescents provide more informative responses to this type of statement. Police officers often seem to use less optimal practices with adolescents, which may reduce the quality of their testimony.