Forensic interviewers' difficulty with the birthday narrative

Abstract

BackgroundNarrative practice increases children's productivity in forensic interviews, and one recommended topic is the child's last birthday, though interviewers have raised concerns about its productivity. Study 1 ObjectiveStudy 1 surveyed forensic interviewers' use of and attitudes about the birthday narrative. Participants and settingParticipants included 170 forensic interviewers who subscribed to a webinar promoting use of the birthday narrative (Mage = 43 years, SD = 10.2, 94 % female). ResultsOver half (55 %) of interviewers reported that they rarely/never asked about children's birthdays, and non-users were especially likely to view the birthday narrative as never/rarely productive. Although interviewers viewed memory difficulties as more likely to occur with the birthday narrative than other practice topics (the child's likes, the child's day), non-users did not view memory difficulties, reluctance, generic reports, or religious objections as especially problematic. Open-ended responses identified negative experiences with the birthday as an additional concern, and interviewers' recommended wording of the prompts suggested suboptimal questioning strategies. Study 2 ObjectiveStudy 2 assessed the use of the birthday narrative in forensic interviews. Participants and settingThe sample included 350 forensic interviews with 4- to 12-year-old children (Mage = 8.85, SD = 2.59). ResultsOnly 4 % of children failed to recall substantive information if interviewers persisted, though another 11 % failed when interviewers stopped persisting. Invitations were more effective than other question types, especially among older children. 21 % of children mentioned a negative detail during their narrative. ConclusionsInterviewers' skepticism about the birthday narrative may be due to suboptimal questioning and sensitivity to occasional failures and negative information.