The concerns that an interviewer should be aware of regarding the child as a reporter
Before interviewing a child, the reporter should always seek permission from the child’s parent or guardian. They should explain to them the reason for the interview so that the parent or guardian can make an informed decision to consent. Media reporting should not put the child at risk (Gosselin, 2019). The interviewer should be very careful about the type of questions he or she will ask the child and avoid traumatizing them at all costs. It is crucial for the interviewer to establish a rapport with the child through age-appropriate language. Moreover, one should make sure the child differentiates the truth and lies when answering questions. Flexibility, along with simple questions, will make the child feel at ease during the interview. Police officers should avoid questions, attitudes, or comments that are judgmental and insensitive. It could humiliate a child or reactivate the painful and traumatic events. Giving the child space and permission not to answer if they do not want to and asking questions that they understand is also extremely important. An interviewer should not overwhelm a child with questions by asking one at a time and giving them time to answer without interruption.
The limitations that police encounter when interviewing the elderly
Police encounter the challenge of distinguishing criminal activity from medical or psychiatric issues, such as mental illness. When police are interviewing the elderly, they may need extra time and resources to gather the required information. Some of the older people have hearing impairments, which makes it difficult for the police to interview them normally. The police will have to go slow and loud enough for them to communicate. Older people suffer from various medical conditions such as geriatric schizophrenia and bipolar making it difficult to interview them. Some police officers have minimal knowledge and information on dealing with the elderly (Logue, 2017). Alcohol and drug abuse can also be a concern for the elderly. The police interviewing the elderly should be aware of any limitations and ideally coordinate and conduct an interview to make the older person comfortable.
The ways that an interviewer can build trust and cooperation with a victim of trauma
An interviewer should always build rapport by maintaining eye contact with the victim. Eye contact communicates care and compassion. Building rapport ensures that a victim will cooperate with the interviewer and they will feel safe. As an interviewer, showing empathy by understanding the victim’s situation, perspective, and feelings is crucial, as well as ensuring privacy during the interview. It is also important to give the victim a sense of control by asking them where they would like to do the interview and if they would like to be with someone during the interview. It is paramount to conduct it in a place where the victim feels secure and assure the victim’s confidentiality of their story and personal information. An interviewer should approach the victim gradually in an unthreatening process and allow the them to express their emotions during the interview and not cut them off from their feelings. Realizing emotions after the trauma may make them feel better, as well as sympathizing with the victim by saying things such as: “You have been through something very frightening. I am sorry.” It is also crucial to avoid interrupting the victim when they are telling their story.
What does Title II of the ADA refer to, and how does it affect policing?
In order to secure equity in terms of treatment and access to communication with public institutions, the US government passed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990. Under the jurisdiction of the ADA, people with physical and mental issues are entitled to equal treatment and respect in all aspects of daily life and functioning (“What is the ADA?,” n.d.). The Act itself is generally divided into various sections according to the sphere of its application. The Title II of the ADA concerns primarily the principles of communication between state and local services and people with disabilities. The provision implies that when cooperating with individuals, public service, including police, is to recognize the people’s needs. For this reason, in order to make sure that people have equal access to services, police officers should have the ability to provide such assistance tools as note-taking, transcript services, or hearing aid devices (Gosselin, 2019). Once provided, individuals with issues are able to serve as full-scale contributors to the law enforcement practice. The contributions generally include citizen complaints, providing information relevant to the investigation, and addressing services such as 911 when seeking support.
The challenges that must be overcome for successful interviewing of the disabled and mentally ill populations.
Interviewers should give the disabled and mentally ill persons more specialized attention since the frequency of crimes committed against them is higher. The main aim is to provide the interviewer with the necessary tools to deal with victims with disabilities to report the crimes adequately. They do not feel alone in the judicial process and achieve that their assailants are condemned. Self-confrontation is another challenge when it comes to interviewing persons with disabilities and the mentally ill. Lack of understanding of how to approach them and what questions to ask may cause the interviewer to feel awkward about proceeding (Gosselin, 2019). Interviewers should stop assuming that a person with a disability will always need help. As an interviewer, it is important to take time to become familiar with the ways to address those who have disabilities, without labeling them because of their specific needs.
References
Gosselin, D. K. (2019). Interviewing and interrogation: Smart talk (2nd ed.). Pearson Education.
Logue, M. (2017). Effective police interviewing [Doctoral thesis, Brock University]. Web.
What is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)? (n.d.). ADA. Web.