Phil Rich © 2015 Assessment of Juvenile Sexual Risk June 2-4, 2015 Part VI: Interacting With and Interviewing Youth and Families During Risk Assessment

Phil Rich © 2015

Assessment of Juvenile Sexual Risk

June 2-4, 2015

Part VI: Interacting With and Interviewing Youth and Families During Risk Assessment

Phil Rich, Ed.D., LICSWSpecialized Consultation and Training

[email protected]

413-687-7098

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Conducting Interviews

• Knowing what questions to ask is important.• These effectively represent the focus of the assessment

process.• They frame the content of the assessment report. • In practice…

… answers to questions are most likely to be found and ascertained through multiple sources and means.… not solely through interviews with the juvenile or his or her parents.

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• Nevertheless…… interviews with the youth provide an opportunity to gain both answers and insight that cannot be derived from any other source.

• Over the course of several interviews with the youth, the process both widens the breadth of questions and answers, and deepens them as well.

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• However…… answers to the most difficult and complex questions emerge from clinical interviews, rather than being directly given by the youth.

• Of this, Lukas (1993) says ““The question to avoid is ‘why’.“First, and most obvious, the client may not know the answer.”

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Primary and Collateral Interviews

• There are essentially two classes of interviewees: Primary. The youth who is the subject of the evaluation. Secondary. All other interviews are essentially collateral.

• Collateral interviewers include: Parents Probation officers Current and former therapists Teachers Social service workers Etc.

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Primary and Collateral Interviews

Collateral interviews are aimed at:1. Gathering a complete picture of the juvenile’s

psychosocial development, functioning, and interactions.

2. Understanding as much as possible about:o the youth and his/her development o The family history and living environmento The sexual offending and other related behaviors

from the perspective of other individuals.

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Confidentiality

• In the case of sexual offenders, not all communication is considered or treated as privileged or confidential.

• It is important that juveniles and their legal guardians are informed and understand that they may not be entitled to confidentiality…… and, in some cases, disclosures will or must be reported to external agencies.

• This may dampen, reduce, and even shut down communication.

• However, it is nevertheless critical that young people who sexually offend understand that confidentiality is (usually) not guaranteed.

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Structuring the Interview

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Interview Guides as Organizational Tools

• An interview checklist will help evaluators ensure that they are organized and have, prior to the interview…… considered the questions for which they want answers.

• It can be frustrating for the evaluator to later realize that he or she forgot to ask one or more specific questions.

• It can also appear to the informant that the evaluator is poorly organized or, worse, unqualified.

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Interview Guides as Organizational Tools

• Organization makes all the difference in all forms of work.• Evaluators who are organized in the interview process are

likely to be both more efficient and more effective in their work.

• That is, they get the information they want the first time!

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The Use of Interview Guides

• Interview guides can be very useful, minimally as reminders or “cheat sheets” of what to ask, and perhaps when.

• However, as the interview guide becomes more structured the interview itself becomes less clinical.

• One hallmark of a clinical assessment is the judgment and decision making power of the evaluator…… as opposed to a process defined by a pre-determined interview schedule which limits the freedom and flexibility of the clinician.

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The Tone and Quality of the Interview

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The Quality of the Interview

• With respect to approaching the clinical interview, McConaughy (2005) observes that although differing from ordinary conversation…… the interviewer may use strategies that make interviews seem more conversational and comfortable.

• Within the first moments of the interview…… Morrison (1995) notes that the interviewer should both describe the purpose of the interview, including its length and the sort of questions that will be asked…… and create a comfortable environment for the subject.

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The “Conversation Management” method described by Eric Shepherd (2007) describes core features of investigative interviews as…

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i. Awareness of the dynamics of conversation.ii. A commitment to ethical conversation, in which the

interview is treated with respect and as a conversational participant, rather than a “question-answer-machine.”

iii. Recognition and acknowledgment of mental, emotional, motivational, and contextual barriers to disclosure that are sometimes considered to constitute “resistance.”

iv. The use of techniques that facilitate open and cooperative engagement in the interview, and increase the potential for the disclosure of meaningful and detailed information.

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• Thus, even if casual in tone…… every interview, conversation, or meeting is part of a formal process aimed at..

… gathering information that can help the evaluator develop a clear view of facts, allegations, developmental history, family history, events, and so forth, etc….… in order to assess the youth and his or her risk for sexual recidivism.

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Interview Informants

• There is a hierarchical structure to informants, from the most to the least knowledgeable, involved, and/or affected by outcome.

• These range from the youth, to parent (or parent figures), actively involved social service or court workers, current therapists, other family members, and so forth.

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• Each type of interview will be administered differently by the evaluator because of: The different levels of information that can be provided by

informants at each hierarchical level. The nature of the relationship between the interviewer and

interviewee. • They will also vary in length, formality, the type of questions

asked, and the amount and type of information that the evaluator thinks can be provided by the informant.

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• Interviews with collateral informants will be mostly information gathering.

• The concept of the “clinical interview” is most appropriately reserved for assessment sessions with the young person, and to a lesser degree his or her parents.

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Interview Content

Interviews with the youth will… Be the lengthiest and the most complex. Involve face-to-face contact. Most likely involve multiple and sequential interviews, with

at least two sessions and…… for a thorough assessment, more like three to five.

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Interview Content

• Parent contacts are not likely to be as lengthy or intense.• However, they may also involve more than one assessment

session, and may be held in person or by phone…… and some information from parents may also be gathered through a written family history questionnaire.

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Interview Content

• Below this hierarchical level, interviews are… Likely to be brief Held by phone Far less comprehensive in the range of questions.

• At the same time, they are likely to be far more focused on specific information relevant to each particular informant’s sphere of knowledge about the youth or the youth’s family.

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Interview Content

• We may ask a parent a great deal about the youth’s birth, early developmental history, treatment history, school functioning, and social development, etc.

• We may also ask parents about their own history and the history of the immediate and extended family.

• We are not likely to ask other (non-parent) collateral informants this range of questions, and they are not likely to have the answers.

• Instead, we will be asking these informants far narrower questions, related closely to their level of involvement with the youth and family.

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Interviewer Skills

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The Skill of the Interviewer

• Knowing what questions to ask is a facet of the evaluator’s preparation for the interview.

• However…… the ability to make an informant feel comfortable, as opposed to feeling interrogated, for instance…… so that he or she is best able or most willing to answer those questions…… comes down to the skill of the evaluator as a clinical interviewer.

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This involves the evaluator’s ability to: Establish a tone, provide direction for the interview Engage with informants in a manner that promotes their

willingness to be responsive to the evaluator Form a relationship, even if a brief one

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• Furthermore, in addition to knowing what questions to ask (a facet of preparation)…… the evaluator must know how and when to ask these questions…… and sometimes when to not ask a particular question.

• This means that the evaluator must recognize and pay attention to the climate of the interview…… and how the informant is responding to the interview process and its content, both emotionally and behaviorally.

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• The evaluator may also need to clarify or further explain questions and answers as they emerge in the interview…… and may sometimes draw attention to or make explicit content that might otherwise be unstated or unrecognized.-Sattler,1998

• However, such clarification should serve only to move the interview process along and facilitate the discovery of more information.

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• It is not the goal of the interview to openly address or evaluate content…… although this is the evaluator’s role in the final phase of the assessment and, of course, in the assessment report.

• The interview process is simply a means to gather the information that will be needed for the later evaluation.

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• In a clinical interview, therefore, it is the interviewer’s job to ask questions and prompt answers…… but not evaluate or judge the information that emerges, other than as a means to build and ask further questions and seek depth and detail.

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The Stream of the Interview and Keeping Track

• Beyond the questions that the evaluator planned to ask…… he or she must also recognize new streams of questions that arise during the interview for which the evaluator had not previously planned.

• No matter how well prepared, there are bound to be times when one stream of questioning leads to another, previously unexpected stream.

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• Related to this is the need for the evaluator to keep track of the interview and the information it addresses.

• The evaluator must decide when to remain with one question stream and when to move to another…… as well as when to return to a previous stream in order to further flesh out answers and information.

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• In this this context, tracking can be as simple as writing down, not only the answers provided by the informant…… but also other questions and topics to be addressed in the interview to which the evaluator may later return.

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Nine Key Skills for the Clinical Interviewer

1. Preparing Knowing in advance of the interview what information will be sought from the informant and what questions will asked.

2. TimingKnowing when to ask particular questions during the interview.

3. SensitivityRecognizing the emotional state and experience of the informant, including which questions or topics should or should not be pursued at any given moment.

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4. Awareness of Cues and NuanceRelated to both timing and sensitivity, this involves the evaluator’s awareness of the climate of the interview……the informant’s willingness or ability to answer questions…… and the need or capacity to shift direction in the interview.

5. FlexibilityFlexibility involves the evaluator’s ability to recognize how the informant is responding or wants to respond…

… assess what questions may or may not be asked…

… and adjust the interview and its process accordingly.

It effectively represents the evaluator’s ability to “go with the flow” of the interview.

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6. DirectingThe evaluator is responsible for the flow and direction of the interview process……including how to move the interview forward, provide focus, and end the interview.

7. ClarifyingThe evaluator must sometimes draw information, ideas, and content to the surface, making explicit and clear things that may otherwise remain invisible.

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8. Non-EvaluativeEvaluation follows the gathering of information. One skill for the evaluator is remaining non-judgmental during the interviewing process.

9. TrackingThe evaluator must be able to keep track of the interview process, subject matter, and need to return to questions or open new question streams.

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The Nature, Structure, and Goals of the Clinical Interview

• Morrison (1995) suggests that successful clinical interviewing is little more than helping people talk about themselves.

• He has also written that effective interviewers obtain a large amount of relevant information in the shortest period of time…… while engaging with the interviewee in a manner consistent with creating and maintaining a good working relationship.

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McConaughy (2005) considers the essential purposes of the clinical interview as: Understanding the subject’s perspective Observing the subject’s behavior, affect, and interactional

style Recognizing strengths and competencies in the subject Identifying potential treatment targets Establishing rapport and mutual respect between the

interviewer and subject, in which there is a bidirectional influence

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In so doing, and in how we ask people to talk about themselves, Long et al. (1988) write that the evaluator uses interpersonal skills to: Establish trust Define the role that he or she will play Allow the client an opportunity to voice fears and ask

questions Establish a positive environment in which the interview will be conducted

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• Girón et al. (1998) observed that negative attitudes displayed by the interviewer towards the subject are likely to create distance…… and, therefore, inhibit the interviewee’s communication and participation.

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The Importance of Evaluator Skills

• Regarding the relationship between interviewer and subject…… a number of researchers describe the crucial role of developing rapport, a positive environment, and a working alliance.- Lambie & McCarthy, 2004; Long et al., 1988; O’Reilly & Carr, 2004; Shea, 1988; Snook, Luther, Vachon, & Aalsma, 2012; Vanderhallen, Vervaeke, & Holmberg, 2011

• However, this is no simple task when interviewing a sexual offender or, for that matter, anyone who has engaged in criminal activity…… when the very process of assessment may understandably be threatening to the individual being assessed.

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The Importance of Evaluator Skills

This stresses the need for the evaluator to have and demonstrate strong interview skills…… and the ability to build a positive environment and working relationship…… in order to overcome the barriers established at the outset by the potentially threatening reason for the interview.

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Forensic Interviews

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The Interview in Forensic Evaluation

• In an assessment for sexual recidivism there is much at stake for the young person and his or her family.

• This is the arena in which the youth and family members have the most direct influence and play the strongest role.

• Consequently, under such circumstances there may be great reluctance to actively, honestly, or fully engage in the interview process.

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The Interview in Forensic Evaluation

• The evaluator should, therefore, not expect a full and open level of engagement by the youth or his or her parents.

• This will, of course, vary widely from case to case and under different circumstances.

• When it comes to its role in risk assessment, clinical interviews are more rightly thought as forensic interviews, and so…… the clinical evaluator must also assume the role of and see and hear things through the eyes and ears of the forensic evaluator.

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The Forensic Context

• Forensic evaluation involves… the assessment of individuals facing legal consequences the possible provision of court testimony as a witness recommendations made to the court system or other

authorities involvement in the outcomes of court proceedings

- Barker & Branson, 2000

• Accordingly, Grisso (1998) has described all evaluations as forensic if intended for direct use or to assist decision making in a legal environment.

• He advises they require a different way of thinking than non-forensic evaluations.

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The Awareness and Manner of the Clinical Interviewer in the Forensic Environment

With regard to interviews with the juvenile or the juvenile’s family, in the forensic role…… the interviewer must be aware that not every thing told to them will be an honest, accurate, or full representation of what occurred with regard to the sexually abusive behavior, or the events leading to such behavior.

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If the clinical interviewer assumes that the juvenile or his or her parents will engage openly, honestly, and non-defensively in interviews…… then the evaluator not only lacks familiarity with the client population…… but is additionally at risk for making significant mistakes in the assessment process…… and the resulting level of assigned risk and recommendations for management and treatment.

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On the other hand…… the evaluator must avoid the mistake of becoming mistrustful and suspicious of every juvenile sexual offender or family member…… or assuming that they are never being honest in their presentation, motivation, or presentation of information.

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• Girón et al. (1998) observed that a negative mindset in the interviewer may significantly inhibit effective clinical interviews.

• Nevertheless, in the forensic setting, the interviewer is advised to assume the mindset of a forensic investigator, as well as clinical evaluator.

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The Clinical Interviewer in the Forensic Interview

• Under any circumstances, Gudas and Sattler (2006) remind us that forensic assessments differ from clinical assessments in a number of ways…… including scope, content, and purpose.

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The Clinical Interviewer in the Forensic Interview

• Most simply, whereas the clinical interview concerns the clinical and treatment needs of the individual being assessed…… the forensic interview is focused on the concerns of the legal or juvenile justice system.

• Gudas and Sattler therefore stress the importance of interviewers recognizing and understanding the nature of their role as forensic evaluators.

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Interacting With Parents

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Interviewing the Parents

• In conducting interviews with parents, it is important to recognize how complex families can be in structure, dynamics, roles, and relationships.

• The evaluator must also be aware of the potentially sensitive nature of parent interviews, as well as the realities into which parents often find themselves thrust with regard to their child’s behavior.

• This is often further exacerbated by the fact that another one of their children may be the victim of the sexually abusive behavior.

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Interviewing the Parents

• These dynamics and circumstances should be kept in mind during parent interviews, with regard to the state of mind of either parent……and the relationship with and feelings toward the sexually abusive youth.

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Parent Interviews: Forming a Collaborative Relationship

• O’Reilly and Carr (2004) stress the goal of developing a collaborative relationship with the youth’s parents.

• They stress giving a message of support and understanding regarding the crisis and dilemmas they may now be facing.

• Calder (2001) similarly emphasizes support.• He too stresses that parents should not be pre-judged or

assumed to be the problem or cause of the sexually abusive behavior.

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Parent Interviews: Forming a Collaborative Relationship

• Thus, before asking the parents the questions you’d like to have answered…… first recognize the situation they may be in and related emotions, confusion, and uncertainty.

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Parent Interviews: Ensuring Sensitivity

• Both Calder (2001) and Lambie and McCarthy (2004) have identified useful pointers for the evaluator to consider in evaluating and working with parents…… focusing on a sensitive, supportive, and go slow approach.

• These include acknowledging that parents may be feeling powerful emotions, such as shock, shame, or powerlessness, and allowing them to feel uncertain and vulnerable.

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• If in denial, you may recognize this as a common response for parents, and through the provision of support …… encourage them to participate in the assessment process, help them recognize that they can be influential in treatment, and create opportunities for them to be more open and honest.

• The interviewer can also provide answers regarding sexually abusive behavior and help put it into perspective, as well as answering other questions that parents may have.

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• Without minimizing the situation, the interviewer can help the parents recognize that their child’s behavior can be treated but also……. prepare them for the possibility of further disclosure during the course of the assessment process and later treatment.

• Before moving from initial contact to a deeper interview level, the interviewer should prepare the parent for open discussions of sexual behavior…… while remaining sensitive to the possibility or likelihood that such discussion may be very difficult and awkward for the parent.

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• The interviewer should also keep in mind that a parent may deny allegations that his or her child engaged in sexually abusive behavior, even if the alleged victim was a sibling.

• The interview, however, is not the time to attempt to overcome or resolve such feelings and beliefs, or even…… significantly address them other than to collect information about and understand the parent’s point of view.

• Nonetheless, denial is a factor to be dealt with in the interview so that it will not stand as an obstacle to both gathering important information and building a relationship with the parent.

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Parent Interviews: Recognizing Family Dynamics

• In conducting the parent interview, the evaluator must not simply ask questions but, listening actively and attending to the process…… watch for and recognize dynamic factors at work that may shape the parent’s involvement or honesty in the interview.

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Some of these dynamics are specific to the presence of sexually abusive behavior within the family and include:

Denial and minimization Blaming someone other than the sexually abusive youth Feelings of guilt or shame, stigmatization, or helplessness Divided loyalties and splits within the family…

… and especially when the victim is also a family member or when parents are divorced or separated

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• Beyond these sexual abuse specific dynamics, other family dynamics are equally at play.

• These are shaped by what Minuchin (1974) described as the family structure…… the invisible set of demands and relationships by which families are organized and family members interact with one another and the outside world.

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• In interviewing parents, then, the evaluator not only seeks maximum information about the family, developmental, and behavior history of the sexually abusive youth, but is also…… actively seeking information that reveals information about the family structure and its operations.

• Without blaming the family…… the evaluator seeks to understand how family dynamics and the family environment may have influenced or allowed the development of sexually abusive behavior. - Calder, 2001

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Parent Interviews: Remaining Non-Judgmental

• In recognizing that the families of troubled youth often have difficulties and experience dysfunction themselves…… it is too easy for those who treat sexually abusive youth to look to the family as the source of the youth’s trouble.

• It is important that evaluators recognize that most parents want the best for their children.

• Even if family dynamics have contributed to the development of troubled behavior, and this is often the case…… it is nevertheless important that the evaluator doesn’t demonize the parents or assume the worst.

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Interacting with and Interviewing Juveniles

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Interviewing the Young Person

• Because these interviews will involve difficult and personal questions…… they are likely to be experienced by the youth as a high risk proposition.

• The question, then, is how to engage with the youth in a process that he or she is not likely to seek out, experience as “client-friendly,” or otherwise anticipate in a positive light.

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Interviewing the Young Person

• In fact, there is much at stake for the youth.• There are many understandable reasons for him or her to:

Avoid giving answers Give partial answers Lie by omission Give deceitful answers Deny knowledge

or Provide answers that are just enough to meet the

evaluator’s expectations

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A Framework for the Juvenile Interview

• Developing a full picture of the youth requires time and depth, and it is unlikely that anything less than three interviews can begin to paint a detailed or complete picture.

• These interviews will have a serial and sequential quality to them.

• Rather than being designed to simply gather information to cut-and-dried questions, they allow a relationship to develop between the evaluator and the youth and a picture of the youth to emerge.

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• Typically, a single interview will last 1-1½ hours.• Typically 3-5 interviews are adequate to gather important

data, including: personal history psychosexual development and behaviors details of the sexual offense and the context in which it

occurred and

the character and approach of the young person

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• Multiple interviews allow the evaluator to observe and experience changes in the juvenile’s affect and willingness or ability to be honest and disclosive with the evaluator.

• Multiple interviews also allow the youth the opportunity to reveal more information and provide more insights, and feel more comfortable in the relationship over the course of the interviews.

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• Multiple interviews allow the evaluator to switch gears in each interview…… gathering different types of information, addressing different aspects of the assessment, and shifting the focus of the interviews over time.

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Facilitation and Collaboration

• Snook and colleagues (2012) write that, in contrast to an expectation that subjects in investigative interviews will always be unwilling to talk..… research shows that offenders may be willing to provide information if treated in a humane and ethical manner.

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Facilitation and Collaboration

• Similarly, Vanderhallen and colleagues (2011) found a strong relationship between the approach of the interviewer and a working alliance.

• They found a positive correlation between working alliance and a “humanitarian” interviewing style, empathy, respect, and interview clarity.

• In contrast, there was a negative correlation between a working alliance and a dominating interviewing style, as well as feelings of anxiety in the subject.

• Vanderhallen et al. assert that interviewing style is an important predictor of a working alliance and subject participation in the interview.

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The Facilitative Interview Climate

In describing strategies for interviewing sexually abusive youth, Lambie and McCarthy (2004) stress the need for the evaluator to:

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Establish rapport Show respect Express concern Provide information Create a facilitative environment in which there are

opportunities for honesty Establish credibility and control of the interview Ask open ended questions Anticipate embarrassment Predict and challenge cognitive distortions Expect and work with denial Allow juveniles to tell their story Use re-framing statements Allow face-saving maneuvers Take care in expressing personal emotions

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• Snook et al. (2012) also warn of “overtalking” by the interviewer.

• It is generally accepted that the interviewer should talk about 20% of the time during interviews - Fisher, 1995; Shepherd, 2007; Snook et.al, 2012

• “There is no doubt... that the time occupied when the interviewer is talking is time that the interviewee is not providing information.” - Snook et al., 2012

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Interview Questions

Snook et al. (2012) describe nine types of questions used by investigative interviewers: 1. Open-ended. Encouraging interviewees to provide answers

from free recall memory

2. Probing. Questions tap into specific memory and generate answers that are narrower in scope, compared to those provided from open-ended questions.

3. Closed-ended. Also taps into cued recall, but typically answered with a “yes” or “no” response.

4. Leading. The question itself suggests an answer to the interviewee.

5. Forced-choice. Offers the interviewee a limited number of possible responses.

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Interview Questions

6. Opinion/statement. The interviewer poses an opinion or makes a statement in his or her question.

7. Multiple. Multiple questions being asked at once, often not allowing the subject to respond after each question.

8. Re-asked. The interviewer repeats a question asked earlier in the interview.

9. Clarification. Questions in which the interviewer repeats what the subject has said but forms it as a question.

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Open and Close Ended Questions

• However, there are two basic structures to questions.

1. Open ended questions have no particular answer attached to them, other than that suggested by the question itself.

Open ended questions are often very general, as they don’t imply a specific answer, and so answers may also be vague and general.

2. Close ended questions are quite specific and narrow the range of answers. They often take the form of…

“When did you…” “Why did you…” “When you first…” “How did you…” “How many times have you…”

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• In any form of clinical interview, both types of questions are useful.

• However, in risk assessment interviews, open ended questions allow open and free speech and can provide a great deal of information, although they also allow denial and minimization.

• Your choice of open or closed ended questions will depend on what you want to know, as well as the responsiveness of the youth and his or her interactive style and participation.

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• Close ended questions are far more directive, restrictive, to the point, and demanding…… allowing less self-expression and less room for denial and bias in how questions are answered.

• They are also potentially more threatening and can easily shut down an interview if asked at the wrong time and in the wrong way…… such as forcing a particular answer, boxing the subject into a corner, or assuming guilt.

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• Although both Morrison (1995) and Gudas and Sattler (2006) suggest that open ended questions are more effective earlier in the interview or in earlier interviews…… and more focused, close ended questions are more to the point and more effective later in the process.

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• However, Snook et al. (2012) write that the use of closed ended questions is acceptable at appropriate points in an interview…… but the overuse of and reliance on probing and closed questions is problematic because it is a sign of a controlling interview strategy.

• It also generates shorter responses than those obtained from open-ended questions.

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• It’s clear that open ended questions are less threatening, allow a great deal of leeway, and provide much room for self-expression and free speech.

• Indeed, there is consensus in the literature that interviews “should be an exercise in gathering complete and accurate information” (Snook et al., 2012)… …and that open-ended questions gather the most information from an interviewee.- Milne & Bull, 2003; Read et al., 2009; Snook et al., 2012

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• Snook et al. conclude that, on average…… open-ended questions result in 6-9 times more information than that resulting from close-ended questions.

• They write that unsolicited information is rarely generated from closed ended questions.

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Free Narratives

• Related to open-ended questioning, Snook et al. discuss the use of “free narrative”…… information prompted by an open-ended and general question, often early in the interview.

• They write free recall is associated with more detail, and provides one third to one half of all information gathered during investigative interviews.

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Free Narratives

• Snook and colleagues encourage free narrative during the early part of an interview…… as it allows the interviewer insight into the interviewee’s mental representation of the event.

• In turn, this helps the interviewer structure the subsequent questioning of the interview.

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The Facilitative Interviewer

In order to facilitate engagement and openness, the environment in which the clinical interview occurs is characterized by the evaluator’s:

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The Facilitative Interviewer

• Awareness and anticipation of client distortions, denials, and lack of disclosure.

• Use of careful and active listening skills.• Demonstration of concern, respect, and support for the

juvenile.• Provision of information that can help the juvenile understand

his or her situation. • Authentic presentation.• Effort to understand and see things through the eyes of the

juvenile.• Awareness and careful control of evaluator self-expression.• Use of language geared and to understandable to the client.• Establishment of healthy and safe boundaries.

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Asking Questions the “Right” Way

• Gudas and Sattler (2006) state that the interview structure should help the juvenile speak openly and honestly.

• When children and adolescents are interviewed in a warm, supportive, and reinforcing manner…… they demonstrate improved participation and provide more accurate information.

• Gudas and Sattler note that the evaluator should remain aware of the influence of his or her verbal mannerism and body language on the client and the interview process.

• They should adopt a pleasant and non-judgmental tone, stating questions clearly and positively.

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• Gudas and Sattler emphasize the role of the interviewer’s tone and manner in influencing how the child or adolescent participates in and feels about the interview…… including his her willingness to provide information and answer questions openly and honestly.

• They also remind us that the evaluator’s tone may signal to the youth the possibility of a positive or negative response to an answer..… thus additionally influencing the answer given by the child or adolescent.

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• Medoff and Kinscherff (2006) also write that evaluators must recognize the need to challenge inconsistencies and probe for additional information.

• However, they additionally note that evaluators must avoid a confrontational style that may result in an angry, defensive, or non-participatory response from the youth that may then characterize the juvenile as in denial.

• “The evaluator will thus create an atmosphere that facilitates the juvenile’s willingness to self-report accurately.”

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Twenty Three Interview Guidelines

1. Be prepared prior to beginning the interview process2. Recognize differences between clinical and forensic

evaluations3. Ensure limits on confidentiality are clear 4. Ensure the youth understands the assessment process5. Work at the juvenile’s level 6. Be friendly and facilitative 7. Build a relationship 8. Build safety 9. Don’t increase stress or discomfort10. Facilitate an environment that will allow the youth to be honest

and forthright11. Expect denial

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Twenty Three Interview Guidelines

12. Seek detail 13. Ask open and close ended questions 14. Expect attempts at manipulation and deceit15. Reveal information only as necessary16. Look for and track inconsistency and gaps17. Challenge and urge honesty18. Evaluate but don’t judge19. Recognize and control avoid counter-transference20. Stay in charge21. Maintain safe boundaries22. Seek more information as needed23. Seek help and supervision if needed

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Wrap Up:Staying Aware and Safe

100Phil Rich © 2015

Taking Care and Staying Safe

• Interviews present an environment in which a great many personal questions are asked and a great deal of sensitive information is provided.

• In the context of sexual abuse risk assessments this involves much sexual information in which the interviews, the questions…… and the interview relationship may invoke sexual feelings in the offender, whether juvenile or adult.

• This constitutes a very personal and intimate environment.



Depending on the location and setting of the interview environment, caution should be exercised, given: The natural, and intended, therapeutic intimacy of this

relationship The transference and counter-transference issues that are

recognized by informed therapists and

The nature of the client as sexually inappropriate and sometimes aggressive



In addition to the clear personal and physical boundaries that evaluators must establish in their interviews, caution extends to consideration of:

The location of interviews The presence of other individuals

and The time of day when interviews are scheduled



• Aside from boundary confusion, the evaluator must never overlook the possibility of personal danger.

• This includes the possibility of physical or sexual assault…… especially given the subject matter discussed in interviews and the nature of the interviewee as someone who has already crossed sexual boundaries and engaged in sexually abusive behavior.

Documents

Phil Rich © 2015 Assessment of Juvenile Sexual Risk June 2-4, 2015 Part VI: Interacting With and Interviewing Youth and Families During Risk Assessment