An Investigation Into The Effective And Ethical Interviewing Of Suspected Sex Offenders

Studies show that sexual assault is the offence least likely to be reported to police and, when reported, often does not proceed to court. Two reasons for this are victim reluctance to relive the experience in testimony and cross examination, and the difficulty of presenting a case with no witnesses to corroborate evidence. Research undertaken by the Australian Institute of Criminology has also shown how difficult it is to secure convictions in adult sexual assault cases. This paper reports on a study which investigated ways of improving the likelihood of a guilty offender confessing and is based on interviews with offenders and police. The authors suggest that the credibility of the evidence and the manner in which it is presented to the suspect can affect the likelihood of securing a confession. Although the numbers in the study are relatively small, they are indicative of practical measures that have the potential to improve the efficacy of the criminal justice system for victims of sexual assault.

This edited volume reviews the latest research on investigative interviewing in order to provide insights on the psychological processes of the person being interviewed as well as to offer guidelines for conducting credible and useful interviews. Critical and controversial areas are highlighted (eg. false confessions, child interviewing) in order to bring clarity to how these interrogations are to be conducted. Chapters focus on these areas to provide comprehensive views of theoretical, evidence-based background, as well as practical considerations of interrogation settings and procedures. The contributors are internationally respected scholars in the field of psychology and law with particular expertise in the interviews that are critical to legal proceedings. And attention is given to the criminal justice system in international perspective.

Contingent on funding being available, a Festschrift will be held in honor of Dr. John Yuille’s career as a Forensic Psychologist. He has become one of the most visible and respected Canadian psychologists worldwide. In light of his upcoming retirement in December 2006, the Festschrift will recognize Dr. Yuille’s achievements in the areas of eyewitness memory research (i.e., pioneering a new research paradigm that grants better validity), investigative interviewing (i.e., the development and use of the Step Wise Interview Protocol), and credibility assessment (i.e., introducing Statement Validity Analysis to North America). New directions for future work will be explored at the workshop. The focus of this Festschrift will be three-fold: 1. International. Dr. Yuille’s work has influenced law enforcement practices and stimulated research in and outside of Canada. The international and multicultural aspects of the work that Dr. Yuille has inspired will be reflected and promoted by this workshop. 2. Interdisciplinary. Dr. Yuille is internationally known as an expert, consultant and trainer to law enforcement. As such, Dr. Yuille’s work has also influenced other disciplines, e.g., the law, social work, oral history. The participants of this Festschrift will gain insight into other professionals’ perspectives and foster potential collaborations on future projects. 3. Emphasis on applied research. A hallmark of Dr. Yuille’s research has been the application of field and archival methods, which made his work directly applicable to forensically relevant contexts. The potential future directions of applied forensic research will be discussed at this Festschrift. The importance of the subject at this time: - A lack of integrative models in the literatures of eyewitness memory and the assessment of truthfulness and deception. Presenters of the Festschrift have recently developed such models and will discuss them at the Festschrift. Publishing these models and their discussions will spark further research to validate or modify them. - New, pioneering field research based on such integrative models has recently been conducted. This book would be one of the first publications of the results.

It is startling to read how few sexual offenses are reported in a year; even more shocking to see how few reports lead to an arrest. Research on effective responses to sexual offenses is much needed and ongoing. This edited book presents the current state of research on investigative techniques used in sex crime investigations, and the operational challenges and issues that arise in these investigations. Including an international cohort of scholars from various academic backgrounds, it reviews current efforts in key areas, synthesizing the research to make recommendations for the improvement of investigative practices and the criminal justice system’s response to sexual offenses. Each chapter includes a brief introduction to the topic, a review of the research, and a discussion of the key points relevant to investigators and researchers as they move forward. The book is broken down into four themes: suspect prioritization and identification techniques, investigative interviewing, operational challenges and issues, and the investigation of specific types of sex crimes. With its broad coverage and international scope, this volume fills the gap in knowledge for investigators working on sex crimes cases. With its easy-to-read style and clear analysis of the research, this is the perfect volume for investigators and law enforcement officers, policy makers and researchers, and students in criminology and criminal justice, forensic psychology, and victim services.

This book examines international developments in investigative interviewing. It analyses the cases and other factors leading to the paradigm shift in a number of countries, it considers issues that are of current interest to practitioners and academics including the continuing calls for the use of torture, whether it is possible to detect deception and the contribution of investigative interviewing methods to concepts of therapeutic and restorative justice. The book responds to the recognition that there are currently no international human rights instruments that relate specifically to custodial questioning, whilst also offering a critical analysis of the attempts to influence investigator and prosecutor behaviour by recourse to human rights. This book will be essential reading for practitioners designing and delivering investigative interviewing training programmes as well as academics and students studying international criminal justice.

"This book focuses on the science, law and morality behind interrogational methods. It develops, for the first time, a comprehensive discussion regarding the legality of torture and the efficacy of interrogation. In other words, scientific research has concluded that torture is not effective. This then raises a natural question: What interrogational methods are effective? How does one employ those methods in way that is consistent with law and morality?"--

This handbook provides readers with coverage of the various interview and interrogation techniques used across the world with victims, witnesses, and suspected offenders. It includes exclusive coverage on countries rarely, if ever, previously reported upon in the literature to any substantive depth. Bringing together a collection of chapters from over 40 countries, this handbook advises and explains the practices used in crime interviewing and informs the reader of contemporary developments hitherto unreported in any current book on interviewing and interrogation. In doing so, the Routledge International Handbook of Investigative Interviewing and Interrogation showcases global exemplars of evidence-based practice informed by scientific research. Building on recent research, including protocols developed in a variety of countries, this book is particularly timely in the wake of the "Méndez Principles", a set of principles developed by the UN (i) to counter the ill-treatment of suspects during police questioning and (ii) to gather more reliable information. This handbook will be an essential reference text across criminology, criminal justice, policing and investigation studies, and law.

How to Work with Sex Offenders is the first complete manual available on the subject for professionals who deal with this population. This user-friendly, comprehensive resource presents new data that will give you techniques for effectively interviewing sex offenders and outlines innovative treatment options in an understandable way, but that is just part of what makes this book unique. How to Work with Sex Offenders walks you through the criminal justice, human services, and mental health systems as applied to sex offenders from start to finish—you'll learn what happens to the offender from the point when he/she is apprehended, through prosecution, adjudication, and treatment. To view an excerpt online, find the book in our QuickSearch catalog at www.HaworthPress.com.

How to Work with Sex Offenders is a cutting edge, state-of-the-art book that provides mental health professionals best practice techniques on how to clinically evaluate, interview, and treat this challenging patient population. Successful models of individual, family, and group models of psychotherapy are provided for the reader. In addition, this handbook walks the reader through the investigation, arrest, prosecution and court hearing process, from start to finish. Thoroughly revised, this new edition builds on additional research data and new information, adding advanced chapters on female offenders, Internet offenders, pornography, sexual addiction, rape and child and adolescent sexual misconduct. This is a must-read work for undergraduate and graduate students, law enforcement officers, prosecutors, judges, child protection service workers, therapists, and other professionals who work with sex offenders.

Because of the sensitive nature of sex crimes, police officials must develop a specialized set of interviewing skills to effectively investigate them. Written by former Commanding Officer of the Manhattan Special Victims Squad Thomas P. Carney, Practical Investigation of Sex Crimes: A Strategic and Operational Approach provides a day-to-day guide f