Karen J. Saywitz and Lorinda B. Camparo
Interviewers face a dilemma when questioning children in a forensic context - an inherent mismatch between the needs of the legal system and the capabilities of young children. This is especially problematic when legal decisions with potentially serious consequences depend on the results of the
interview, such as in cases involving eyewitness memory, divorce, and allegations of abuse and neglect. Without accommodations to a child's developmental level, interviews can result in false reports, miscommunication, and misinterpretation, despite an interviewer's best intentions.
Evidence-based Child Forensic Interviewing addresses this discrepancy and presents an innovative approach to close the gap by providing the scaffolding, structure, and guidance children need to perform optimally. Created by Drs. Karen J. Saywitz and Lorinda B. Camparo and outlined in this guide,
the Developmental Narrative Elaboration (DNE) Interview is an evidence-based step-by-step process and set of techniques for forensic contexts designed to help children ages 3-12 accurately tell as much as they can about their experiences and perceptions. The DNE is comprised of a developmentally
sensitive core template and optional techniques that can be embedded at the interviewer's discretion as cases unfold.
This book reviews the relevant research and then, with sample language, transcripts, and suggested activities, details a three-phased interview with examples. This
empirically supported guide is designed to meet the needs of both novice and seasoned professionals in mental health, social service, law enforcement, and the legal system when children's input is needed for legal and social-service decision making.
1. Introductory Information for Interviewers
2. Evidence Base for the Developmental Narrative Elaboration Interview
Phase I: Preliminary Phase
3. Before the Interview: Setting up the Interview Context
4. Beginning the Interview: Introductions, Creating a Template, and
Developing Rapport
5. Demystifying Legal Process and the Interview
6. Before the Core Interview: Teaching the Narrative Elaboration Strategy
7. Before the Core Interview: Optional Methods for Improving Communication
8. The Core DNE Interview
9. Exploring the Details in
Allegations of Abuse and Neglect
Phase II: Closure
10. Closing the Interview
Appendix A: Reminder Cards for Elementary School-Aged Children
Appendix B: Reminder Cards for Preschoolers
Appendix C: Sample Transcript of Child Learning to Use the Reminder Cards
Appendix D:
Sample Transcript of Additional Practice Task
Appendix E: Thinking Cards for Resisting Suggestive Questions
References
About the Authors
There are no Instructor/Student Resources available at this time.
Karen J. Saywitz, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at the UCLA School of Medicine. For 20 years she has trained students in medicine, psychology, social work, nursing, and law on the development of children and adolescents and directed programs
providing mental health services to children and families in the public sector. Dr. Saywitz is past-president of the American Psychological Association's Division of Child, Youth and Family Services. Lorinda B. Camparo, PhD, is a Professor of Psychology at Whittier College, where she has taught and
conducted research on child forensic interviewing with undergraduate students since 1997. She has been an active member of the Executive Committee for The Society for Child and Family Policy and Practice (APA Division 37) for the past 15 years, serving as Program Chair for the millennium convention,
Editor of The Advocate, and Member-at-Large for Communication & Technology.
