Suggested guidelines for the use of forensic hypnosis techniques in police investigations

This article suggests standards and guidelines for the use of forensic hypnosis techniques in police investigations. Topics addressed include the type of procedures that should be used, intervention milieu considerations that need to be taken into account, the types of cases in which hypnosis should be avoided, and recommended qualifications for those performing the intervention. Each of these topics is discussed separately, commencing with a summary of the applicable policies established by selected law enforcement, professional, judicial, and governmental entities; a brief review of the pertinent theoretical and empirical literature; and commentary on the extent to which that information supports those policies. After laying this foundation, additional guidelines derived from the literature are presented for each section.