In the quest for ensuring that the safety of children in the community is upheld, there is the need for having in place proper structures which will oversee this objective. One of the most effective methodologies that can be employed is the use of forensic interviews. Such discussions are useful mainly in instances where the child in question has fallen victim to violence (Ackerman, 2010). There is the need for ensuring that the conducted interviews are focused on extracting reliable information which is non-contaminating, non-leading and non-suggestive. As such, I agree with the author that the goal of forensic interviews is to get the required accurate information that will be used in subsequent jurisprudential undertakings.
According to the author, there is the need for creating a healthy environment that will result in desirable responses. I agree with him/her on this since the use of props like drawings, and stuffed animals are examples of the essential basics in as far as getting the required information in such instances is concerned. Additionally, it is important for the interviewer to ask their questions in such a manner that makes them look clueless (Gunn & Taylor, 2014). By the interviewer having a predetermined mindset may mean that they won’t live up to the goal of objectivity since some elements of biasness will be present in such instances. Furthermore, the duration that should be used in conducting such interviews should be short since the attention span of children is in most cases short lived.
I agree with the author that there is the need for creating rapport and trust between them and their clients in situations where they are interviewing individuals with disabilities. It is imperative that interviewers have a proper understanding of the personal attributes and lives of the interviewees. Such a move is aimed at bridging any misunderstanding gaps between the victim of particular forms of violence and the individuals who are of help to them (Gunn & Taylor, 2014). Finally, any courses of actions that will need to be taken to address any problems resulting to the victim should solely be based on their personal decisions.
References
Ackerman, M. J. (2010). Essentials of forensic psychological assessment(Vol. 77). John Wiley & Sons.
Gunn, J., & Taylor, P. (2014). Forensic psychiatry: clinical, legal and ethical issues. CRC Press.
