The impact of investigative interviews on rape/sexual assault victims : towards a more effective framework for police interviewers

Abstract

When conducting an investigative interview, interviewers have similar objectives regardless of whether the interviewee is a suspect, victim or witness – to obtain complete, accurate and reliable information. Research suggests that using an empathic (or humane) interviewing style leads to more confessions and increased amounts of investigation relevant information (IRI) when used in conjunction with appropriate questions, however, the majority of research has been conducted on interviews with suspects (e.g., Holmberg & Christianson, 2002; Kebbell, Hurran & Mazzerole, 2006; Oxburgh, Ost, Morris, & Cherryman, 2013). The aim of this thesis was to explore whether similar findings would be observed when evaluating the efficacy of interviews with sexual offence victims. Chapter one outlines the guidance documents that are available for interviewers in England and Wales, how they have developed and discusses how the efficacy of interviewing has previously been examined. In chapter two, the literature-base in relation to investigative interviewing of sexual offence victims is analysed using a Study Space Analysis (SSA). Chapter three revealed that officers reportedly use and perceive rapport-based techniques to be more effective than empathy-based techniques. The study outlined in chapter four found that when interviewing female adult rape victims, interviewers ask significantly more appropriate questions and they were found to elicit larger amounts of IRI when compared with inappropriate questions. However, the use of an empathic interviewing style resulted in significantly more inappropriate questions being asked. The final study outlined in chapter five demonstrates how rape/sexual assault victims believe there are specific components (both positive and negative) that influence how difficult the interview process can be. The final chapter provides an overall discussion of the findings and limitations of this thesis, concluding with recommendations for future research and implications for police practice towards a more effective framework for the interviewing of rape/sexual assault victims. The overarching aims of this thesis were to: (i) review the current interviewing guidance that is provided to police officers in England and Wales and explore how this has developed over the past 30 years; (ii) examine the research that has contributed to the literature-base applied to improving the overall efficacy of interviews with sexual offence victims; (iii) establish a better understanding of the perceptions of interviewers responsible for interviewing sexual offence victims and whether such perceptions impact on practice; (iv) explore what practices interviewers are specifically using when interviewing sexual offence victims, and; (v) ascertain a better understanding of what encourages sexual offence victims to co-operate and engage during the interview process.