use the 8 phases of forensic interviewing and begin to think about how to interview and interact with the alleged perpetrator. Brainstorm what you would do to prepare for the interview and then come up with at least one question you would ask the alleged perp for the following 7 phases.

Background info:

Why is it important? It is important so that both the social worker and law enforcement officer can strategize and be on the same page. There are different strategies that both agencies use so understanding one another and recognizing where one interviewer is headed is crucial. Who needs to be involved in the preparation? Both agencies should be involved in preparing together. Work out who will take the lead, recap what information is already known, and possible defenses that the alleged perpetrator could use and how to address those defenses

Occurs when you allow yourself to be so convinced about your own beliefs in the case that you ignore clues that might point in another direction. It can affect both experienced and inexperience investigators Be sure to treat every interview like you are starting at square one. You want to gather as much information as possible going into the interview with the alleged perpetrator, but you want them to give you all the information you already know, rather then giving your information to them.

Treat the offender with respect. Keep tone conversational and not judgmental initially. Similar to rapport building, it is important to get to know things about the alleged perpetrator. You can use this to gauge their baseline behaviors. Remember this is an information gathering process initially. Let them talk. Miranda Warning. Law enforcement will complete this when necessary. Observe subject during the introduction and rapport building period and discuss non threatening subject matter with him/her. During this time observe physical indicators such as: hand and foot placement, speech patterns, posture, etc. This will give you a baseline of the subjects physical behavior while not under stress. This can be compared later when the subject is under distress to allow you to know at what area you should focus your question.

The following are all methods that can be used during the interview. Some are strategies typically used by both agencies and some are more commonly used by either the social worker or law enforcement.

Probing/Open questions Framing the allegation Clarification of reality Limit Setting Addressing feelings Acceptance Closed questions Victim Blaming Accusatory or confrontational statments