Lawyers rapport building practices with child witnesses.
Child witness
Forensic interview
Lawyer
Questioning
Rapport building
Journal
Child abuse & neglect
ISSN: 1873-7757
Titre abrégé: Child Abuse Negl
Pays: England
ID NLM: 7801702
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
10 Jul 2024
10 Jul 2024
Historique:
received:
02
02
2024
revised:
24
06
2024
accepted:
01
07
2024
medline:
12
7
2024
pubmed:
12
7
2024
entrez:
11
7
2024
Statut:
aheadofprint
Résumé
Existing literature on rapport building in forensic interviews with children has primarily focused on police or social workers (Collins et al., 2002); overlooking the lawyer-child relationship. The present study was a novel exploration of the rapport building process between lawyers and child witnesses during the interview stage of a criminal proceeding. A total of 67 Canadian lawyers (M A self-report survey was used to assess how lawyers conceptualize and engage in rapport building with child witnesses. Lawyers were found to perceive rapport building as an important element when working with child witnesses; however, the lawyers' self-reported rapport building techniques overlooked several important elements of rapport building identified in forensic interviewing literature. Overall, the role of the lawyer (i.e., prosecution or defence), but rarely gender, influenced their self-reported rapport building methods. Prosecution lawyers tended to report behaviors that were more aligned with creating an interpersonal connection during the rapport building phase with the child, such as creating an environment where the child feels safe and comfortable. These findings provide insight into how lawyers conceptualize and engage in rapport building with child witnesses. Overall, the lawyers perceived rapport building as an important element with child witnesses, but only some of the techniques mentioned are considered best practices to build rapport with children.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
Existing literature on rapport building in forensic interviews with children has primarily focused on police or social workers (Collins et al., 2002); overlooking the lawyer-child relationship.
OBJECTIVE
OBJECTIVE
The present study was a novel exploration of the rapport building process between lawyers and child witnesses during the interview stage of a criminal proceeding.
PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING
METHODS
A total of 67 Canadian lawyers (M
METHODS
METHODS
A self-report survey was used to assess how lawyers conceptualize and engage in rapport building with child witnesses.
RESULTS
RESULTS
Lawyers were found to perceive rapport building as an important element when working with child witnesses; however, the lawyers' self-reported rapport building techniques overlooked several important elements of rapport building identified in forensic interviewing literature. Overall, the role of the lawyer (i.e., prosecution or defence), but rarely gender, influenced their self-reported rapport building methods. Prosecution lawyers tended to report behaviors that were more aligned with creating an interpersonal connection during the rapport building phase with the child, such as creating an environment where the child feels safe and comfortable.
CONCLUSIONS
CONCLUSIONS
These findings provide insight into how lawyers conceptualize and engage in rapport building with child witnesses. Overall, the lawyers perceived rapport building as an important element with child witnesses, but only some of the techniques mentioned are considered best practices to build rapport with children.
Identifiants
pubmed: 38991620
pii: S0145-2134(24)00327-2
doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.106937
pii:
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
106937Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.