When interviewing a child, which approach helps prevent influencing the child's account?

When interviewing a child, which approach helps prevent influencing the child's account?

• A. Question the child in a loud, intimidating room using direct prompts.
• B. Interview the child alone in a private setting with aggressive questions.
• C. Avoid involving guardians and minimize record-keeping.
• D. Use age-appropriate language, involve guardians as appropriate, and ensure a safe, non-leading interview environment.

Answer: (D)

The approach being tested is to conduct child interviews in a way that minimizes shaping what the child says. This is best done by using language the child can understand, creating a safe, non-threatening setting, and involving guardians as appropriate to support the child and help provide context. When you speak in age-appropriate terms, the child is more likely to understand the questions and respond accurately rather than guessing or misinterpreting. A non-leading interview environment protects the child from being steered toward a particular account, reducing suggestibility and ensuring memories are reported more reliably. Involving guardians when appropriate offers emotional support, helps the child feel secure, and can improve the overall quality and accuracy of information gathered. Choosing a loud or intimidating room, aggressive questioning, or omitting guardians and record-keeping can increase distress, pressure the child, or lead to biased or incomplete information, which is why those options are not as effective.

The approach being tested is to conduct child interviews in a way that minimizes shaping what the child says. This is best done by using language the child can understand, creating a safe, non-threatening setting, and involving guardians as appropriate to support the child and help provide context. When you speak in age-appropriate terms, the child is more likely to understand the questions and respond accurately rather than guessing or misinterpreting. A non-leading interview environment protects the child from being steered toward a particular account, reducing suggestibility and ensuring memories are reported more reliably. Involving guardians when appropriate offers emotional support, helps the child feel secure, and can improve the overall quality and accuracy of information gathered.

Choosing a loud or intimidating room, aggressive questioning, or omitting guardians and record-keeping can increase distress, pressure the child, or lead to biased or incomplete information, which is why those options are not as effective.