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The Memorandum of Good Practice: theory versus application
K J Sternberg1, M E Lamb, G M Davies
1Section on Social and Emotional Development, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Child Abuse & Neglect
|June 29, 2001
Summary
Investigative interviews with child abuse victims in England and Wales often use less effective, option-posing prompts. Training is needed to improve forensic interview practices and ensure reliable information gathering.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Forensic Science
- Legal Practice
Background:
- The Memorandum of Good Practice (MOGP) established guidelines for forensic interviews of child abuse victims.
- Evaluating the effectiveness of these guidelines is crucial for improving investigative practices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the quality of investigative interviews with child abuse victims in England and Wales.
- To determine the impact of the Memorandum of Good Practice (MOGP) on interview techniques.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 119 videotaped interviews with children aged 4-13.
- Trained raters classified interviewer prompts and recorded forensically relevant details.
Main Results:
- Interviewers frequently used option-posing and suggestive prompts, similar to international practices.
- Nearly 40% of elicited information came from less reliable prompt types.
- Open-ended prompts were seldom utilized.
Conclusions:
- The MOGP's implementation has had a limited impact on current forensic interviewer practices.
- Enhanced training is necessary to promote the use of evidence-based interviewing techniques.
- Further research should focus on effective training strategies for forensic interviewers.