Successful Trauma Informed Victim Interviewing
When gathering evidence during the investigation of sexual assault crimes, it is necessary for law enforcement and others
in the criminal justice system, such as prosecutors, to ask the victim questions that they may find difficult to answer, in
order to establish the facts and circumstances of a reported crime.
To build rapport and trust with victims when starting the interview, it is effective for law enforcement to acknowledge that
some of the questions might seem unusual and to explain that all of the questions serve to help the interviewer
understand the victim’s experience of the event. Victims should also be encouraged to ask questions at the beginning and
throughout if they need clarification regarding the process or the purpose of interview questions..
The phrasing of questions during victim interviews is important. Depending on how a question is asked, it might be
perceived by a victim as blaming them for their actions, or for what they may be unable to recall. The following examples
demonstrate how trauma-informed interview techniques can be used to reframe these questions in a manner that helps
victims retrieve memories from a traumatic event and assists law enforcement in gathering more information while
making the victim feel more supported and increasing the likelihood that they stay involved in the criminal justice process.
Beginning with questions such as “Where would you like to start?” or “Would you tell me what you are able to about your
experience?” sets a supportive tone for the interview. Asking questions in this way also invites the victim to describe what
happened, their thoughts, and their feelings in their own words, which is valuable evidence to document in the case
report.
In general, law enforcement should consider reframing
• questions that start with “why”;
• directives such as “explain to me…”; and
• requests for a chronological account with prompts such as “and then what happened?”
Using open-ended questions and requests when possible gives the person being interviewed the opportunity to share
more information about what they are able to recall. For victims, this method helps their brain retrieve information from a
traumatic event and offers them more control as they recount a time when they were violated and had no control.