Oral Presentation: Interpreters’ Experiences and Knowledge of Child Forensic Interviews

Title: Interpreters’ Experiences and Knowledge of Child Forensic Interviews

Abstract:

Child forensic interviewers have expressed concerns regarding the quality of interpreter-mediated child forensic interviews, including limited access to qualified interpreters and a high risk of suggestive influence stemming from misinterpretations. However, research on interpreter-mediated child forensic interviews is limited, and the perspective of interpreters has been overlooked. To improve the quality of interpreter-mediated child forensic interviews, it is crucial to investigate whether the problems might depend on interpreters’ working conditions, limited knowledge of child forensic interviews, deficient communication between the interpreter and the child interviewer, or other factors. The current study aims to explore interpreters’ self-reported experiences of child forensic interviews, common and preferred practical conditions of interpreting in these interviews, and the knowledge authorized legal interpreters, authorized interpreters and non-authorized interpreters, respectively, possess of child forensic interviews. A digital survey was sent in March to Swedish interpreters. During the spring, the data will be analyzed using both qualitative and quantitative methods. By giving interpreters an opportunity to share their experiences of how it is to interpret child forensic interviews, the current study will contribute new insights regarding interpreter-mediated child forensic interviews.

*Presenting and corresponding author: Linnea Koponen, Department of Psychology, University of Gothenburg, E-mail: guskopoli@student.gu.se.