An exploration of interview breaks in child forensic interviews

Abstract Child forensic interview guidelines commonly recommend that interviewers take breaks during interviews to improve children’s comfort and to review the evidence obtained. However, instructions vary on how, when, and why to take breaks. Recent studies have also raised concerns about whether the feedback that interviewers receive during breaks reduces the quality of their post-break questioning. To establish interviewers’ use of breaks and compare their pre- versus post-break questioning, we recruited 54 police child interviewers. Participants provided a recent child interview and completed a questionnaire about their use of breaks in that interview. Breaks were rarely used for children’s comfort but were commonly used to review the evidence obtained. While interviewers’ questioning was proportionally more specific and less open-ended post-break (compared to pre-break), post-break open-ended questioning was positively associated with receiving advice from a colleague monitoring the interview about best practice techniques. Therefore, it is important that interview monitors have child interviewing knowledge.