Children’s Memory and Event Reports: The Current State of Knowledge and Best Practice

Abstract

Decades of research on children’s eyewitness reports highlight a multitude of influences on the accuracy of children’s memory. Given the significance of children’s eyewitness testimony in criminal and social service investigations of maltreatment, as well as of other crimes, the task of eliciting accurate reports while still considering children’s needs can be quite daunting for interviewers. Researchers stress the importance of taking into account children’s abilities and limitations as well as external influences, including from the interview context. In this article, the authors review scientific research within the study of children’s eyewitness memory and suggestibility, examining both cognitive and sociomotivational influences on children’s reports. They also review studies of child forensic interview protocols and describe current best practices for interviewers who have the crucial task of questioning child witnesses.