“The Complete Complaint Investigator”

Texas Department of Human Resources

August 1984

44

considerations 

must specifically be taken into account: the child’s dependency on

adults around him, his level of maturity, and the trauma he has ex

perienced as a result of abuse or neglect. Many of the techniques

that you use to interview adults will be applicable to the child, but

these techniques will have to be modified and adapted. Effectively

interviewing children will depend on the degree of your flexibility,

sensitivity, and knowledge of child growth and development. For

all these reasons, interviewing children is both a challenging task

and a delicate responsibility.

Children’s perceptions differ from those of adults. They often

mix fantasy with reality. Younger children have a limited attention

span. Childrert’s time orientation is limited in terms of the meaning

of the length of time or past and future. Their vocabulary is lim

ited, and they are less able to deal with abstract terms. To avoid

creating anxiety, confusion, and defensiveness and to make sure

that you are communicating effectively, “Why” questions should

be avoided.

Children often put up a facade of pseudo-maturity to hide their

feelings arid impress you that there is nothing wrong. They may

also give answers that they feelthe interviewer will approve. Such

children have an allegiance to their caregiver despite the fact that

they have been abused or neglected by him. If the licensing repre

sentative starts blaming the caregiver, the child may withdraw or

become defensive. You should tell the child that you understand

the child’s worries or nervousness. Be honest. Be tolerant. Speak

plainly to the child. The tempo of the interview should be slower.

Questions should be less rapid or abrupt.

You should develop a strategy for interviewing children. De

pending on the circumstances, you will have to decide whether the

child will be interviewed at the facility, the licensing office, in the

hospital, in the caregiver’s absence, in the presence of parents or

trusted adults, at the time of the incident, or some lime after the

incident.

Upon first meeting the child, be prepared to assess his condition

by observing non-verbal expressions, physical symptoms, emo

tional symptoms, and behavioral symptoms. Some children may be

fearful, lack affect, or appear detached, while other children may

be aggressive or withdrawn. Being aware of these symptoms will

help you decide how to approach a particular child to facilitate

communication.

You should be prepared to establish rapport with the child, just

as you would with an adult. A]though you may assume that it

would be easier to relate to children because they have been victimsof abuse or neglect, it may, in fact, be more difficult. The following

guidelines increase the chances of establishing rapport:

• Explain who you are and why you are there. You should tell them

that you are the person responsible for checking their school or
•

been

Impress

seeing

on the child your expertise and the fact that you have other kids.

who

You

has

should

been

be prepared for all kinds of resistance from a child

fested

abused or neglected. Such resistance may be mani

In addition,

in the form of stubbornness, withdrawal, or even aggression.

Criticism

the child may also exaggerate the situation.

You

will alienate the child and it will block communication.

are within

should raise clear questions and carefully select words which

standings.

the

You

child’s vocabulary range in order to avoid misunder

surrogate or

should avoid any indication of becoming a parent.

ate resistance.attacking the parent or caregiver because this may cre Frequently, interviewers attempt surrogate to become a parent

of security

to an abused child, thinking that this will impart a feeling

becomes

to the child. When the child rejects them, the interviewer angry and critical. Remember ready to disassociate that the child may not be

how much himself from parents or caregivers, no matter he may have been abused.

attempt

Do not

if

become

it occurs

intimate with the child. The child may resent the

ing earlobes. However, through childish talk, tweaking cheeks, or pull the interviewer world. should adapt to the child’s (for example sit in a small chair).

what

The

he

child

cannot

should be told what he is allowed to do rather than do. For example, the office, it in an interview with the child in

and these toys

is

while

better to say, “Johnny, you can play with this box

you are not

we talk,” instead of “Johnny, while we talk

papers.” Saying supposed’to climb on the windows or’ play with ray this may cause the child to attempt opposite. Then, to do just the

control the child.

when

Avoid

you say, no, you are faced with the need to

hand, promises that cannot be kept. On the other if the interview is lengthy or difficult pared to offer for the child, be pre

times, just

the child something for, his participation. Some

participationoffering the child information can be enough to elicit his in ‘the, interview.

You may experience difficulties the child in discussing the incident with

child may

because

panic

of either your own or the child’s anxiety. The

dying. The child

or

may

become uneasy, The child may have fantasies of

The child may

have fears of rejection by friends or relatives.

abuser will kill

have fears of being punished by God, fears that the

The child may

him, or fears that the abuser will commit suicide.

another facility.

fear being removed from the facility and placed in The child may actually find comfort as a means in the abuse of getting attention.

Keep the following considerations view: in mind as you begin the inter

. .

• Review the report with the child.
• Recognize the difficulty of dealing with the subject.

• Start with the specifics and recognize that unless you understand

the subject matter thoroughly, you will not be able to help.

Gather whatever evidence you can and ask for the specifics of

who, what, when, where, and how.

Generally, it is not necessary to obtain parental permission prior

to interviewing children at the facility however, when the subject

matter is sensitive, such as sexual abuse, it is wise to obtain the par

ent’s permission first or, at least, clear the interview through the

regional attorney. It may also be helpful to discuss the interview

with the child’s parents to find out what words the child uses for

various body parts, such as the genitalia, and what names the child

uses in referring to various individuals.

When interviewing children at the facility, your approach should

be casual, making it appear that you are just chatting with the chil

dren. -

Whenever possible, the children should be interviewed individu

ally since children in groups are highly susceptible to being influ

enced by one another. When it is not possible to interview them in

dividually, the interviews should be conducted in small groups, and

several groups should be interviewed to obtain corroboration. Such

interviews can provide you with much valuable information about

discipline, nutrition, and other topics that you would be unlikely to

observe.

While it is not inappropriate to ask adults leading questions in

complaint interviews, such questions can unduly influence children

and should be avoided.

Interviews with children provide you with hearsay evidence only.

Normally, the evidence would be admissible only if the child were

available to testify and if the child is old enough to know the differ

ence between the truth and a lie. However, due to the special cir

cumstances surrounding having a child testify, it is often possible to

get your testimony admitted regarding what the child told you. In

addition, even if the children are too young to give what would nor

mally be considered competent testimony, that testimony may be

admitted if a sufficient number of children independently corrobo

rate the testimony.

Exhibit 3 furnishes additional information on interviewing

children.

\Vritten Statements

4

6

Written statements are, in effect, a written interview with the col

lateral contact or witness, but they are not a substitute for an oral