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Title: “Just the facts”: Best practices for minimal facts interviewing presented by Thomas D. Lyon, JD, PhD
Description:
Investigators and other practitioners advised to conduct minimal facts interviewing are often told to limit themselves to who, what, when, and where. But how? Children are notoriously poor at estimating dates, which means that “when” can pose difficulties. Worse, it can lead to estimates of dating that will lead to inconsistencies and impeachment of the child’s story. Furthermore, children are reluctant to describe genital touch, and often ill-equipped to specify the nature of the touch. Again, mistakes in eliciting the early report can easily lead to problems for the case down the road. Based on research in child interviewing and developmental psychology, I’ll discuss how practitioners can avoid these pitfalls and conduct productive minimal facts interviews.