A Validation Study of Constructs for Developing a Scale of Difficulties in Child Investigative Interviews

Objectives This study is a preliminary study for developing a scale to identify the difficulties encountered during child investigative interviews and to understand the challenges faced by police investigators. Methods Based on prior research, a preliminary set of 15 items was created and reviewed by forensic psychology experts, resulting in a finalized 13-item scale. Data were collected from 66 police investigators responsible for child interviews, and exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), reliability analysis, correlation analysis, t-tests, and one-way ANOVA were conducted. Results Through EFA and CFA conducted on data collected from 66 child investigative interviewers, three factors were identified: “Understanding the Child,” “Coping with Mood,” and “Interview Threats.” Correlation analysis revealed significant relationships between the “Understanding the Child” and “Interview Threats” factors of the Child Investigative Interview Difficulty Scale and the Child/Disabled Victim Investigative Efficacy. Furthermore, the study found no significant differences in Child/Disabled Victim Investigative Efficacy and Child Investigative Interview Difficulties by investigators’ gender, age, rank, or years of experience. Conclusions This study identified the specific difficulties faced by investigators during child interviews. Given that these difficulties are associated with low investigative efficacy, more systematic support should be provided to mitigate the challenges experienced by investigators in child investigative interviews.