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RE: Children's evidence
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<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff><SPAN class=210215000-24022000>For me rapport and
positive connection are one and the same? I do not understand the
difference. </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff><SPAN
class=210215000-24022000></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff><SPAN class=210215000-24022000>I am often intrigued
about ideas that interviewing children is different than adults. The
relationships that lead to effective interviewing of children work wonderfully
with adults. Adults that have something to hide, or that are socially ill
prepared for an interview can be greatly aided in releasing information with
effective relationship building. "Validity" is often raised as an issue
with children's statements, to a degree that is offensive given my experiences
in supervising thirty thousand CPS investigations. Adults lie with greater
frequency in my and my staff's experience. Two children interviewed today
gave wonderfully detailed, corroborated histories. These disclosures were
in spite of parents directing them to not speak or to lie to the protective
worker. The honest relationship we, CPS established with these children
created a trust and empowerment for these children within our
relationship. With the child, who was more hesitant to speak:
he was empowered to not speak with the worker if unable to tell the truth.
He had been previously told that the truth was the only information we could
help his family with. I had one interview and my worker has had two
interviews and two none interview contacts with these two children. The
relationship is critical to receiving the truth. Corroboration is critical
to knowing if you have the truth.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff><SPAN
class=210215000-24022000></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff><SPAN class=210215000-24022000>An adult rapist, killer,
child molester, stalker, violent, drug and alcohol addict that I interviewed on
numerous occasions over the course of a year was able to disclose more
to me than he has ever admitted to any individual. Raised in a gang
as a young child. He learned to trust no one. He lied sometimes to
me and some areas of questioning I avoided as it was apparent that
truth was not forth coming. The relationship I established with him was
vital to having him face what dysfunctions he had: that he was currently
ready to face in therapy. His therapist did not have to be intrusive
as he and I probed each other. With his consent, we separately
kept his therapist informed. The relationship I had with his daughter
was similar, except with children I am more often on
the floor. As a physically imposing individual, I am more
conscience of keeping children looking down at me. I mostly
have them positioned in the dominate seating relationship. With this
father, he is dominate in most of his relationships. I sought more of a
neutral power relationship of mutual respect. I would have been on the
floor for him, if he needed that dominance to disclose.
</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff><SPAN
class=210215000-24022000></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff><SPAN class=210215000-24022000>We are all children,
when we become adults people often forget our needs for nurturance. I
teach my staff: to use more honey and sugar - less vinegar and sticks
unless they need no more information. I hope this is
helpful.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff><SPAN
class=210215000-24022000></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff><SPAN class=210215000-24022000> </DIV>
<DIV align=center><B><FONT color=#0000ff face="Times New Roman">Larry Earl
Wraight</FONT></B></DIV>
<DIV align=center><B><U><FONT color=#ff0000 face="Times New Roman">Fighting on
the FrontLine for CHILDREN</FONT></U></B></DIV>
<DIV align=center><FONT color=#0000ff face="Times New Roman" size=2>@Home and
NCPWA, Inc. - Wed., evening & weekends:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=center><FONT color=#0000ff face="Times New Roman" size=2>E-mail:
wraight@dreamscape.com - Phone: (315) 635-4791</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=center><FONT color=#0000ff face="Times New Roman" size=2>27 Ford
Street Baldwinsville, NY 13027-2328</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=center><FONT color=#0000ff face="Times New Roman"
size=2>@CPS</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=center><FONT color=#0000ff face="Times New Roman" size=2>E-mail:
31A243@dfa.state.ny.us - Phone: (315) 435-2975</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=center><FONT color=#0000ff face="Times New Roman"
size=2>7<SUP>th</SUP> Floor Civic Center 421 Montgomery St. Syracuse, NY
13202</FONT></DIV>
<DIV></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff><SPAN
class=210215000-24022000></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff><SPAN
class=210215000-24022000> </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV align=left class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B>
owner-CHILD-MALTREATMENT-RESEARCH-L@cornell.edu
[mailto:owner-CHILD-MALTREATMENT-RESEARCH-L@cornell.edu]<B>On Behalf Of
</B>Sue and Mark Foley<BR><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, February 22, 2000 2:54
PM<BR><B>To:</B> Child Maltreatment Researchers<BR><B>Subject:</B> Children's
evidence<BR><BR></DIV></FONT>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>I have begun to look at a course on the
collection of evidence from children, and am interested in the belief that the
neutrality of the worker - whether they are police or child protection staff,
as demonstrated by their lack of positive connection with the child (not
rapport- positive connection), will enhance the validity of the evidence being
"collected". I am wondering about the basis or validity of this belief and
also about whether in fact this is more difficult for the child. (i.e.
whether the experience of being interviewed is more
difficult)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>Any comments/ references
appreciated</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>Sue Foley</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2><A
href="mailto:smfoley@mpx.com.au";>smfoley@mpx.com.au</A> </FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
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