What is a Forensic Interview?

When a child has experienced abuse or witnessed violence, it can be incredibly difficult for them to talk about what happened. Children may feel scared, confused or unsure who to trust. A forensic interview is designed to help children share their experiences in a way that is safe and legally sound.

At Child’s Place, forensic interviews are one of the key services provided to help protect children and begin the path toward healing.

Understanding the Purpose of a Forensic Interview

A forensic interview is a structured, developmentally appropriate conversation with a child conducted by a specially trained professional. These interviews follow nationally recognized, evidence-based guidelines used by Children’s Advocacy Centers across the country and supported by the National Children’s Alliance.

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention describes forensic interviewing as a developmentally sensitive and legally sound way of gathering factual information about possible abuse or exposure to violence. As part of this process, trained professionals use research-informed techniques to ensure children are not pressured, led or influenced when sharing their experiences.

Forensic interviewers are trained to use neutral, open-ended prompts that allow children to share information in their own words and at their own pace. This approach supports accuracy while also helping protect the child from additional stress during the process.

A forensic interview can help:

  • Give a child a safe place to share what they experienced
  • Reduce the number of times a child may need to share the same information
  • Provide accurate information to support an investigation
  • Clarify important details about the child’s experience
  • Reduce additional stress for the child during the process

Most importantly, the process gives the child an opportunity to share their experience in their own words and at their own pace.

A Child-Centered Approach

Children do not communicate the same way adults do, and no two children will describe an experience in exactly the same way. A child’s age, development, language and individual needs all shape how they understand and talk about their experiences. The forensic interviewer meets the child where they are, allowing the conversation to unfold in a way that makes sense for that individual child.

During the interview:

  • The conversation is child-led
  • Prompts are open-ended and non-leading
  • The interviewer follows the child’s pace and comfort level
  • The child is never forced to talk or pressured to provide answers

This approach helps children feel more comfortable and respected during what can be a very difficult conversation.

At Child’s Place, interviews take place in a calm, welcoming environment designed specifically for children. The space is intentionally different from a police station or courtroom, helping reduce anxiety and create a sense of safety.

Why Forensic Interviews Matter

Before Children’s Advocacy Centers existed, children often had to share their experience multiple times with different professionals, such as police officers, social workers, doctors and attorneys. Each retelling could be stressful and emotionally exhausting. Repeated questioning could also lead to confusion or inconsistencies, especially if questions were not asked in a neutral way.

Today, Child’s Place uses a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach that brings professionals together around the forensic interview process. Interviews are audio and video recorded so members of the multidisciplinary team can review the information shared without asking a child to unnecessarily repeat their experience. This collaboration allows professionals to share information and work together while keeping the child’s needs at the center of the process.

Professionals who may rely on information from the interview include:

  • Law enforcement
  • Child protection services
  • Prosecutors
  • Medical professionals
  • Mental health providers

Working together helps ensure children receive both protection and support while minimizing additional trauma.

What Happens During a Forensic Interview?

Each interview is unique because every child and situation is different. However, all interviews at Child’s Place follow the same protocol.

First, the interviewer spends time building rapport with the child. This helps the child feel more comfortable, allows the interviewer to understand how the child communicates and gives the interviewer an opportunity to explain what will happen during the interview. The interviewer also shares simple guidelines, such as letting the child know they can correct the interviewer or say when they do not know or do not understand something.

Next, the interviewer may use general prompts to better understand how the child communicates.

When a child begins to share information about what brought them to Child’s Place, the interviewer listens carefully and uses open-ended prompts to better understand their experience and clarify details when needed.

The conversation is neutral and non-judgmental, allowing the child to describe events in their own words.

Support for Caregivers During the Process

While a child meets with the forensic interviewer, caregivers are supported too.

At Child’s Place, caregivers meet with a victim advocate who is there to listen, answer questions and help them understand what may happen next. This gives caregivers a place to talk through concerns, ask questions about the process and begin identifying what their family may need moving forward.

Every family’s needs are different. A victim advocate can help connect caregivers with support that may be helpful, including:

  • Counseling or mental health services
  • Information about child protection or law enforcement processes
  • Community resources
  • Ongoing support as the family moves forward

Caregivers do not have to have everything figured out when they arrive at Child’s Place. Our role is to help families understand the process, connect them with resources and make sure they have support along the way.

A First Step Toward Healing

A forensic interview is often the first step after a concern about abuse or violence is reported. While the process can feel intimidating, it is carefully designed to reduce trauma and keep the child at the center of every step.

At Child’s Place, every detail, from the interview process to the environment, is created with one goal in mind: helping children feel safe enough to speak and supported enough to begin healing.

No child should have to face difficult experiences alone. A forensic interview helps ensure that when a child is ready to talk, someone is there to listen with care, compassion and professionalism.