Child and Interviewer Race in Forensic Interviewing

Amy K Fisher; Tomiko D Mackey; Carol Langendoen; Marie Barnard

doi:10.1080/10538712.2016.1208705

Child and Interviewer Race in Forensic Interviewing

J Child Sex Abus. 2016 Oct;25(7):777-792. doi: 10.1080/10538712.2016.1208705. Epub 2016 Aug 12.

Authors

Amy K Fisher¹, Tomiko D Mackey², Carol Langendoen³, Marie Barnard⁴

Affiliations

¹ a Department of Social Work , University of Mississippi , Oxford , Mississippi , USA.
² b Director of Clinical Services , Family Crisis Services of Northwest Mississippi Inc ., Oxford , Mississippi , USA.
³ c Private Practice , Oxford , Mississippi , USA.
⁴ d Department of Leadership & Counselor Education , University of Mississippi , Oxford , Mississippi , USA.

PMID: 27715713
DOI: 10.1080/10538712.2016.1208705

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the potential effect of child race and interviewer race on forensic interviewing outcomes. The results of the regression analysis indicated that child race and interviewer race had a significant effect on interview outcome category (no findings, inconclusive, or findings consistent with sexual abuse). Furthermore, the results indicate that the interaction of child and interviewer race had predictive value for rates of findings consistent with sexual abuse but not in the direction predicted. Cross-race dyads had significantly higher rates of interview outcomes consistent with sexual abuse. These findings suggest that more research into the effect of race on disclosure of child sexual abuse is needed.

Keywords: Child; child sexual abuse; disclosure; forensic interviewing; interview outcome; interviewer; race.

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Black or African American*
Child
Child Abuse, Sexual / psychology*
Child, Preschool
Female
Forensic Psychiatry / methods*
Humans
Interview, Psychological / methods*
Male
Professional-Patient Relations*
Retrospective Studies
Truth Disclosure*
White People*