A Forensic Interview — What Is It?

What is a forensic interview?  This is a question that is asked of us all the time.  It sounds so scientific and has a "CSI" affect.  Although a forensic interview is an evidence-based practice that is continually tested and tweaked based off of research, it is also an art.  Each child that walks through our door is different, with their own unique circumstances and as interviewers we meet them where they are.  While building rapport with the child and gaining their trust, we use open-ended questions that are non-leading in order to get the child to narrate their experience in their own words. These are court-worthy interviews as the information is coming straight from the child’s mouth, in their own words, without outside influences and conducted by a trained professional.  Every child that suffers from abuse deserves to be heard and as forensic interviewers it is our honor to listen.