How do forensic interviewers use pauses with children?

What is it about?

When adults ask children difficult questions, like in a forensic interview, it's important to give them enough time to respond. We asked forensic interviewers how they use pauses and what they think silence mean when children don't answer right away during interviews. We found that most interviewers try to give kids space to answer without making it awkward. However, they don't all view silence the same way. For example, when a child doesn't respond to their question, many interviewers assume the child didn't understand and will rephrase the question. Fewer interviewers see silence as a sign that the kid might not want to answer.

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Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash

Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Using pauses in the right way can help children feel more comfortable and share what they've seen or experienced with professionals. We found that while interviewers understand that pauses can be helpful, they don't all agree on how to use them. This is important because it shows that we need a clearer guideline on how to use pauses effectively during forensic interviews with kids.