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The Reid Technique of Investigative Interviewing and Positive Persuasion for Child Abuse Investigations

The Reid Technique of Investigative Interviewing and Positive Persuasion for Child Abuse Investigations®is a specialized three day program designed for anyone who investigates child abuse and interviews alleged offenders.

WHETHER YOU ARE A

  • Social Service Child Protection Worker
  • Police Officer
  • Child Advocate
  • Prosecuting Attorney
  • Medical personnel
  • Counselor

This dynamic course is for you. The curriculum is designed to be beneficial for new and even the most experienced investigator. We have trained over 500,000 investigators in the Reid Technique over the last 68 years.

SEMINAR TOPICS

UNDERSTANDING THE MIND OF AN OFFENDER To effectively identify and interview a child abuser it is important to look at the offense through the eyes of the offender. In this section we will discuss the common characteristics of individuals who are inclined to sexually or physically abuse a child. You will here from offenders themselves in videotaped interviews.

We recently went into a prison and interviewed four male and four female inmates who have sexually or physically abused children.

YOU WILL HEAR THEM EXPLAIN

  • How They Selected Victims
  • How They Set Up the Opportunity to Abuse
  • What Motivated Them to Abuse
  • How Outside Circumstances Influenced Their Actions
  • How They Manipulated Victims
  • Why They Lied to the Investigators (Police and Social Services)
  • How They Rationalized, Minimized, and Shifted the Blame for Their Abusive Behavior
  • Hear Them Explain What Investigators Could Have Done to Get Them To Confess

You Will Also See Actual Interviews and Interrogations of Alleged Offenders Our Staff Has Investigated, as well as Actual Interviews of Alleged Teenage Victims of Sexual Abuse.

Participants will have the opportunity to use the techniques they will learn at the course to determine the truthfulness of these subjects and offer suggestions how to get them to confess.

BEHAVIOR SYMPTOM ANALYSIS

When subjects make a conscious effort to conceal information, they often experience internal conflicts that result in an increase in tension and anxiety which manifest themselves in nonverbal behavior. We will show you the specific body movements, facial expressions, eye contact, attitudes, postures and grooming gestures that can indicate whether the subject is telling the truth or withholding information.

We will also discuss the characteristics of a successful interviewer. We will show you what behaviors cause a subject to close up and refuse to volunteer information, and what behaviors will encourage the subject to talk. We'll also show you how to establish the proper environment for the interview.

INVESTIGATIVE, PROFILING, AND BEHAVIORAL PROVOKING QUESTIONS

When questioning an alleged offender there are some critical rules to follow when asking investigative questions. We will discuss the do's and don'ts when asking investigative questions. We will also present a series of questions to help you determine whether the subject has some of the common characteristics and attitudes of someone who is inclined to abuse a child. In addition to these questions we will present a series of behavioral provoking questions that will greatly assist the interviewer determine if the subject is telling the truth or lying.

You will receive a 65-question interview guide for sexual abuse cases and a 45-question interview guide for physical abuse cases.

Phase I - The Reid Behavior Analysis Interview ®

  • Identifying the appropriate investigative questions
  • Evaluating the credibility of the subjects alibi
  • The use of behavior provoking questions
  • Developing questions to identify precipitators and propensity
  • Developing questions to identify the subject's perception of their relationship with the child
  • The model of responses for truthful and deceptive individuals to the behavior provoking questions
  • Identifying and eliminating the truthful subject
  • Identifying the deceptive individual and determining the next investigative step

Phase II - The Seven Steps Of Positive Persuasion ®

Principle; through the use of understanding, logic, empathy and rationalization the investigator presents persuasive statements to motivate the subject to want to tell the truth.

STEP 1: State your Position STEP 2: Development of Persuasive Statements (Themes) STEP 3: Overcome Resistance STEP 4: Address the subject's Fears and Concerns STEP 5: The Closer (Alternative Question) STEP 6: Establish the Details STEP 7: Document the details of the Subject's Statement

UPCOMING SEMINAR DATES AND LOCATIONS

The Child Abuse course is only presented in-house or as a co-sponsored course. If you would like information on how your organization could sponsor this training program visit this page.

Unable To Attend? If You Are Unable To Attend This Course At This Time You May Be Interested In The Following Publications;

HOW TO IDENTIFY, INTERVIEW AND INTERROGATE CHILD ABUSE OFFENDERS By David M. Buckley

The techniques presented in How to Identify, Interview and Interrogate Child Abuse Offenders will serve to improve investigators success resolving child abuse investigations.

Part One consists of eight extensive interviews of convicted male and female child abuse offenders. These interviews will provide investigators with a unique insight into the mind of the offender. Offenders explain in detail how they selected, groomed and isolated their victims, justified their abusive behavior and the tactics they used to manipulate their victims and their caregivers.

Part Two will discuss the common behavior patterns and characteristics of child abuse offenders and how interviewers can use this information to develop proper interview questions and clarification strategies. Child Sexual Offenders: How they select, manipulate and groom their victims By David M Buckley published by PoliceOne.com Understanding and Investigating Child Sexual Exploitation By Robert Farley published by the U.S. Department of Justice Recognizing When a Child's Injury or Illness Is Caused by Abuse By Robert Farley published by the U.S. Department of Justice

LINKS TO 1-DAY CHILD ABUSE SEMINARS THAT CAN BE ADDED AS A 4TH DAY To; The 3-day 'Investigative Interviewing and Positive Persuasion for Child Abuse Investigations'1-day Physical and Neglect Child Abuse Injury Reconstruction Techniques. 1-day Emerging Trends in Child Sexual Abuse Investigations