What makes a good investigative interviewer of children? A comparison of police officers' and experts; perceptions

<b>Purpose – </b>The purpose of this paper is to examine police officers’ perceptions about their role in interviewing children, and to compare these perceptions with those of child eyewitness memory experts.<br /><br /><b>Design/methodology/approach –</b> A diverse sample of 23 police officers (from three states of Australia) individually participated in in-depth interviews where they were asked to define what makes a good interviewer in the area of child abuse investigation.<br /><br /><b>Findings –</b> Irrespective of the background of the officers, the important role of interviewers’ personal attributes was emphasised (e.g. having a relaxed, empathetic, warm nature). Such personal attributes were more prominent in the participants’ descriptions than knowledge of legislation and children’s<br />development, prior job experience, and interviewing techniques.<br /><br /><b>Research limitations/implications –</b> The paper shows that while child eyewitness memory experts acknowledge the importance of establishing a bond of mutual trust between the interviewer and the child, the importance of utilising an open-ended questioning style for enhancing rapport, and<br />for eliciting a detailed and accurate account of abuse cannot be overstated. The possible reasons for the police officers’ emphasis on personal qualities are discussed.<br /><br /><b>Originality/value – </b>This paper has revealed that limitations in the competency of police officers in interviewing children is not merely a problem of “doing” (i.e. learning to ask open-ended questions),<br />but may also reflect ingrained attitudinal and organisational barriers.<br />