Science-Based Protocol for Interviewing Children *NEW COURSE* *IN PERSON*
$995 + HST
Next Offering
October 3, 2024 - October 4, 2024
Learn the National Institute of Child and Human Development Protocol for Child Interviewing
As part of many professions (e.g., educators, pediatric medicine and health care, social work, daycares, youth care facilities, child-focused business owners, etc.) and social activities (e.g., coaching sports, scouts, girl guides, etc.), adults may be required to talk to children about things that have happened to them, or things that they witnessed. Although topics of conversation range from benign to consequential, it is important for adults to understand child cognition, language, and social norms if they wish to gather high-quality information needed to make good decisions. A central part of obtaining good information from a child involves following a systematic process that explains the interview process to the child, builds rapports, checks the ability of the child to engage in the interview process, and follows science-based, child-specific questioning practices.
In this two-day course, participants will be taught to conduct interviews with children using the National Institute of Child and Human Development protocol. The NICHD is a structured protocol that (a) contains science-based practices for interviewing children and (b) helps adults avoid the common errors that prevent children from providing good quality information. This protocol has been validated on over 40,000 child interviews and has been proven to enhance child interviewing practices and outcomes. This course uses participant activities (e.g., evaluating child interviews) to improve understanding of the information presented and to provide the opportunity to practice the protocol.
Key Learning Outcomes
- Understand child memory, language, social norms
- Avoid practices that suggest answers/information
- Ask effective, child-specific questions
- Establish interview expectations and foundations
- Build rapport
- Train a child to recall episodic memory
- Transition to a conversation about a substantive issue
- Structure a child interview
- Increase the completeness of an account
- Evaluate and provide feedback on child interviewing performance
Continuing Education Contact Hours: 14
Instructor(s)
Brent Snook
Brent Snook is a University Research Professor in Psychology at Memorial University of Newfoundland. He holds a PhD in Psychology from The University of Liverpool, UK. His research involves an examination of the reliability and validity of investigative practices (e.g., interviewing, deception detection). Currently, he is exploring the most effective ways to ensure adults and youth understand their interrogation rights and is developing and testing investigative interviewing techniques (e.g., note-taking, sketching). His applied work involves the implementation of the PEACE model of interviewing in North America. Brent's work has led him to collaborate with academic and professional bodies in The United States of America, The Netherlands, England, Germany, and Canada.
Brent also serves as an expert witness on interviewing and memory contamination in court and provides legal advice on the integrity of evidence derived from interviews and interrogations. Brent also provides training on scientific-based information gathering techniques to a wide variety of groups such as police organizations, government departments (e.g., health investigators), non-profit groups (e.g., public defenders), and large, private sector organizations (e.g., oil companies). He is also a research (e.g., survey/instrument development, data analysis, report writing) and organizational behaviour consultant (e.g., conflict and performance).
Together with Todd Barron, he has now instructed hundreds of practitioners around North America on evidence-based interviewing practices.
Todd Barron
Todd Barron served as a police officer for over 27 years being promoted to the rank of Inspector. He has a Master of Science degree in Experimental Psychology from Memorial University, and an undergraduate degree from Memorial University with a major in Police Studies and a minor in business. His policing background includes training as a polygraph examiner, work in the area of Major Crimes, as well as being in charge of his departments’ Investigative Interviewing Unit. He was responsible for training members of the criminal investigation division, patrol services, and new police recruits on investigative interviewing practices; developing new interview training courses; and providing advice on interviewing protocols for ongoing investigations. He is a member of the international investigative interviewing research group (iIIRG), and a past member of the Canadian Association of Police Polygraphists (CAPP).
Todd received training on the PEACE model of interviewing (advanced suspect interviewing) in the United Kingdom and has given many presentations on ethical interviewing practices including talks at Osgoode Law School, York University in Toronto; and Brooklyn Law School, New York City; as well as providing interview training to professional organizations in both the public and private sectors. Todd has worked with legal defense teams as a subject matter expert to review police interviewing practices in wrongful convictions cases as well as ongoing police investigations. He has co-authored several published works on interviewing practices and remains active in research pertaining to the development of professional and ethical interviewing standards.