Effective Listening
Child safety officers must communicate with individuals and families in crisis; good communication skills are essential to achieve the best possible outcomes within a range of challenging circumstances. Interpersonal skills of listening, questioning and feedback are crucial when working as a child safety officer as they allow the officer to clarify, gain knowledge and understand. Active listening allows the child safety officer to clarify the child’s needs with empathy; doing this builds a trusting relationship. The interpersonal skill of questioning further allows the child to gain knowledge, make decisions and effectively problem solve. Lastly, feedback allows the child safety officer to clarify understanding and encourage the child through
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Questioning is explained as the request for information resulting in an answer or response (Hargie 2010). Asking questions is a vital interactive skill as it contributes to the learning development, making decisions and problem solving to both speaker and listener (Hargie 2010). Effective questioning is asking relevant questions to the set topic through showing an engagement while active listening, understanding what the situation is, and adapting to the personality of the speaker to ensure an appropriate question has been asked (Eunson 2010). Questions can either be verbal or non-verbal, for example, non-verbal questioning is using gestures such as 'nodding' after a question has been asked; this can indicate to another person that a response is expected, while verbal questioning is verbally asking the question (Hargie 2010). Although questions can be asked non-verbally, most are asked verbally (Hargie 2010). The approach to take when questioning during an interview with a child is one of the most important elements of an investigation (DeVoe & Faller 2002). Asking children open-ended questions such as, who, what, when, where and why have not been as successful as direct specific questions for example, ‘Can you tell me what happened that day?’ (DeVoe & Faller 2002). However, it is important to set a range of questions to gather extra detail as every child is different. In some cases, close ended questions such as responses being either 'yes' or 'no' are more effective (DeVoe & Faller 2002). Therefore, effective questioning as a child safety officer is essential to gain knowledge, make decisions and effectively problem
Questioning is explained as the request for information resulting in an answer or response (Hargie 2010). Asking questions is a vital interactive skill as it contributes to the learning development, making decisions and problem solving to both speaker and listener (Hargie 2010). Effective questioning is asking relevant questions to the set topic through showing an engagement while active listening, understanding what the situation is, and adapting to the personality of the speaker to ensure an appropriate question has been asked (Eunson 2010). Questions can either be verbal or non-verbal, for example, non-verbal questioning is using gestures such as 'nodding' after a question has been asked; this can indicate to another person that a response is expected, while verbal questioning is verbally asking the question (Hargie 2010). Although questions can be asked non-verbally, most are asked verbally (Hargie 2010). The approach to take when questioning during an interview with a child is one of the most important elements of an investigation (DeVoe & Faller 2002). Asking children open-ended questions such as, who, what, when, where and why have not been as successful as direct specific questions for example, ‘Can you tell me what happened that day?’ (DeVoe & Faller 2002). However, it is important to set a range of questions to gather extra detail as every child is different. In some cases, close ended questions such as responses being either 'yes' or 'no' are more effective (DeVoe & Faller 2002). Therefore, effective questioning as a child safety officer is essential to gain knowledge, make decisions and effectively problem