Motivational interviewing in child sexual abuse investigations: Approaches shown to increase suspect engagement and information gathering during police interviews
| Published date | 01 December 2023 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/14613557231167695 |
| Author | Michael Humann,Emily Alison,Laurence Alison,Frances Surmon-Böhr,Joshua Ratcliff,Paul Christiansen,Ricardo Tejeiro |
| Date | 01 December 2023 |
| Subject Matter | Original Research Articles |
Motivational interviewing in child sexual
abuse investigations: Approaches shown
to increase suspect engagement and
information gathering during police
interviews
Michael Humann
Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, UK
Emily Alison
Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, UK
Laurence Alison
Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, UK
Frances Surmon-Böhr
Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, UK
Joshua Ratcliff
Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, UK
Paul Christiansen
Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, UK
Ricardo Tejeiro
Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, UK
Abstract
On average, more than 200 child sex offences were recorded by UK police every day in 2020, and investigations for
offences including rape, online grooming and sexual assault against children in the United Kingdom (UK) increased by
57% from 2014/15 to 2019/20. The interview process is central to information gathering, but empirical research regarding
the obtention of information through child sexual abuse (CSA) suspect interviewing is still limited. The current study
analyses 45 hours of interviews with CSA suspects focusing on behaviours consistent (and inconsistent) with motivational
interviewing (MI) using the Observing Rapport-Based Interpersonal Techniques coding manual. In line with previous
research demonstrating the efficacy of MI with terrorist suspects, this article focuses on the same four key inter viewer
skills identified in the therapeutic literature (reflective listening, summarising, rolling with resistance and developing dis-
crepancies). It looks at their effects on information yield (information of intelligence value) and suspect engagement.
Results revealed that the four MI-consistent behaviours increased information gain. Also, approaches antithetical to MI
Corresponding author:
Michael Humann, University of Liverpool, Eleanor Rathbone Building, Bedford Street South, Liverpool L69 7ZA, UK.
Email: mhumann@liverpool.ac.uk
Original Research Article
International Journal of
Police Science & Management
2023, Vol. 25(4) 341–353
© The Author(s) 2023
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DOI: 10.1177/14613557231167695
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