Forensic Interviews: The Health Benefits Of Coaching

In my time at the CARE center I’ve witnessed five forensic interviews four of which included disclosure from the child. One of those had noticeable effects of coaching. Coaching is when a parent or guardian gives the child instructions on what to say and what not to say in the interview. It can be used to implicate another parent, to silence the child about their abuse, and ultimately coaching tarnishes the forensic interviews’ validity in court (Tong, 2014).
In the above-mentioned interview the child did not directly say she had been coached, in fact she testified the opposite. However, her behaviors betrayed her as the interviewer asked certain questions her entire demeanor changed. She looked down, became quiet and stopped playing with the play-dough she was given and sunk from the chair to the floor. From that point on her answers were short and often she shook or nodded her head to avoid verbal interaction. The most interesting moment was when she regained her comfort in the interview it appeared she forgot about her coaching and said something she obviously wasn’t supposed to. The moment the words left her mouth her
smile faltered and she then laughed claiming to have been tricking the interviewer and mocked her for being so gullible. The primary reason coaching is successful is because of the relationship with the child and their abuser or the child and their coacher (whom are not always the same person, but very commonly can be). The first attachment a child makes is whither their parents.
More often than not the parents are the perpetrators in child abuse and instead of the abuse pushing the child away they will normalize the behavior and in some situations believe they deserve it. Family relationships hinder separation and can cause great stress in the child. Research suggests that removing a child from abuse interferes with their development of healthy attachments and reduces their willingness to enter social relationships. Children can develop mood disorders, low self-esteem, and regress in behaviors (bed wetting) after being separated from their parents. The more traumatic the separation is the risks of negative effects to the children increase (Effects). It is now easier to understand why a child will withhold information to maintain and protect their family
ties. In her interview the child mentioned above successfully fulfilled her coached purpose. However, she was not coached to remain silent about everything and disclosed information that could land a conviction. Coaching can cause feelings of guilt and betrayal if the child talks about what they weren’t supposed to, especially if that disclosure leads to separation. Child development and attachment is very fragile and relies heavily on the parent-child relationship. No matter how unhealthy that relationship is when it is threatened by an out-group the child will become defensive or retreat within themselves, as the child mentioned physically did by sinking to the floor. Not only can coaching ruin a forensic interview but it can also prevent a solid conviction. If a child does not disclose there is no case.