Assessing the Individual Interviewer Rapport-Building and Supportive Techniques of the R-NICHD Protocol.

Anett Tamm,Renate Volbert,Jana Otzipka

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.659438

Abstract

The use of the rapport-building and supportive techniques formulated by the R-NICHD protocol is intended to support children and increase the quality of their statements as well as disclosures without possessing suggestive potential. While the effectiveness of the entire R-NICHD protocol for children who have actually experienced child sexual abuse (CSA) has been supported by research, to date no study assessed the effect of each individual socio-emotional interview technique in both interviewees with and without CSA experiences. The current study aimed to address this gap in research by means of an online vignette-study, asking participants to rate the identified rapport-building and supportive techniques on the scales well-being, willingness to talk, and perceived pressure. A total of 187 participants were randomly assigned to either a hypothetical “abused” or a hypothetical “not abused” group by means of a vignette-manipulation. The results suggest that many socio-emotional interview techniques were perceived as supportive and non-suggestive, while a number of techniques were perceived as not supportive but suggestive. Few differences emerged between the hypothetical “abused” group and the hypothetical “not abused” control group. To conclude, most but not all rapport-building and supportive techniques proposed by the R-NICHD protocol had a positive effect on interviewees.

Highlights

Once the suspicion of child sexual abuse (CSA) arises, it is pivotal to conduct a proper and adequate interview
Assessing R-NICHD Rapport-Building and Supportive Techniques protocols were developed in the first place was to help interviewers to avoid poor questioning strategies that may lead to contamination or memory distortions
While focusing on the effectiveness of the individual techniques it has to be taken into account that certain techniques are only to be used in certain phases of the interview, for example, when the child expresses reluctance or avoidance and/or when independent evidence for the suspicion of CSA exists. In the protocol it is not specified what this independent evidence should entail. Considering this background, the current study aims to shed light on the effects of each individual rapport-building and supportive technique recommended by the R-NICHD protocol

Summary

Introduction

Once the suspicion of child sexual abuse (CSA) arises, it is pivotal to conduct a proper and adequate interview To achieve this goal, several detailed interview protocols and interviewing guidelines have been drafted, reflecting approximately three decades of intensive research on children’s memory and suggestibility (Memon et al, 2010; Lyon, 2014; Saywitz and Camparo, 2014; Cirlugea and O’Donohue, 2016; Niehaus et al, 2017; Lamb et al, 2018). 7–26% of children who had previously disclosed abusive experiences did not make a disclosure in subsequent forensic interviews (e.g., Hershkowitz et al, 2005, 2006) This might be due to a number of barriers such as perceived negative consequences, feelings of self-blame, shame, and guilt or avoidance of an upsetting topic (Lemaigre et al, 2017). This resulted in a further increase in children’s resistance

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