7 Tips for Conducting Sensitive Interviews from a Veteran Investigator
Title IX investigators review a wide range of alleged activity, including sexual harassment and even assault. To learn more about conducting sensitive interviews with empathy while remaining professional, Security Management reached out to veteran investigator Scot Walker, PCI.
Walker previously served in the U.S. military as an investigator and interviewed individuals about all kinds of activities, including allegations of sexual assault, before becoming a private investigator with his own firm, Walker & Associates.
First and foremost, Walker stresses that investigators should be focused on fact-finding while also recognizing that individuals they are interviewing may have been victimized and experienced trauma.
“If we’re not taking that into consideration, we really need to,” he says. “We need to be thinking about what kind of help we can get this person.”
Below are seven recommendations that Walker has for investigators interviewing adults for sensitive investigations.
1. Set Up the Interview Room
The spaces people conduct serious conversations in can have a major influence how those interactions play out. This is why Walker says he likes to have a dedicated space for conducting interviews that feels safe and comfortable.
Ideally, this room would be outside the interviewee’s normal work area—to avoid onlookers—and would not be located off a public waiting room, since this can increase stress and anxiety in the lead-up to an interview, Walker adds.
Inside, the room would have a soft seating option—such as a love seat or a chair with cushions—for the interviewee to sit in, a chair for a support person (such as a close friend or family member) to sit in, and a rolling chair for the investigator, Walker says.
“I usually like to have a chair that’s on wheels so that I can create distance if I need to, or I can use distance as an advantage, or I can roll into the conversation a little bit more, depending on what I assess is needed during the interview process,” he explains.
Walker says he also likes interview rooms to have a houseplant and soft lighting, such as lamps instead of harsh overhead lighting, to “bring down the intensity” of the room.
“We have to be intentional in how we’re creating this environment for them and make it as comfortable for them as possible so that they want to spend time talking with us,” Walker says.
Lastly, he recommends having a box of tissues available since interviews may become emotional and the interviewee might cry.
2. Be Aware of Stigmas
Investigators should be aware that their perceived gender might have an impact on how comfortable an interviewee is when speaking with them.
An example Walker gives is of a female who has reported an instance of sexual assault that is now being investigated by a male investigator.
“That’s a hard stigma to sometimes overcome because the female may not be comfortable expressing what has occurred to a male investigator,” he adds.
To be better prepared for this dynamic, Walker says he’s found it helpful for investigators to work as a mixed-gender pair.
“I have loved working with female agents because we could adjust how we needed to on an investigation,” Walker explains. Working as a pair is especially helpful when interviewing people as part of a sexual assault case, he adds, because the interviewee can speak with the investigator they’re most comfortable with.
“If [the interviewee] is comfortable with me, great—they can talk with me,” Walker says. “If they’re not comfortable with me—that’s great. They can talk with the female agent.”
Investigators also need to be aware of any cultural dynamics that might affect the course of the interview. One example Walker refers to is an interview with a victim from a more conservative culture, who might feel that he or she needs a spouse present for the interview to be able to speak more openly.
“These are all things that investigators should be doing in our prep—understanding who we’re talking with and what barriers to this communication might be there,” Walker says.
3. Avoid Judgment
Shame is a powerful emotion. Avoiding it during the interview process is critical, which is why Walker suggests explaining to interviewees that no one in the interview is there to pass judgment on their behavior.
His technique includes opening interviews with a short introduction of himself, with his experience as an investigator, and then explaining that he just wants to hear from the interviewee about his or her experience. If appropriate, Walker says he will also mention any specific training he’s taken to investigate the type of alleged conduct that is at the center of the case.
Approaching interviews this way gives interviewees agency and also tends to make them feel more comfortable expressing themselves, Walker adds.
These are all things that investigators should be doing in our prep—understanding who we’re talking with and what barriers to this communication might be there.
4. Allow a Support Person in the Room
When law enforcement agents interview a victim of sexual assault in a criminal investigation, they typically work with a sexual assault coordinator and ask that individual to be present during interviews.
Private investigators can take a similar approach, allowing a support person to sit in on interviews with victims.
Walker recommends asking the individual to identify who their support person is before the interview. That way, the investigator can speak to the support person about what to expect during the interview and the best way for that person to provide reinforcement during the process.
For instance, Walker says in these conversations he would express his appreciation for the support person’s presence, explaining that the interview will likely involve discussion of some sensitive questions and that the victim needs to be the one providing answers to those questions. He also talks to the support person about cues he or she can use to signal the need for a break, to allow either the victim or the support person to regroup.
“I find that it’s okay when you have somebody who’s good and they’re there to hold somebody’s hand and just be the rock so that the victim doesn’t have to be,” Walker says. The victim can then can “lower their barriers, and they can communicate openly, and they can tell you their story.”
5. Be Patient and Empathetic
It’s especially important for investigators working on a sensitive case, such as a sexual assault, to know that every time they interview a victim, they are revictimizing that person and need to prepare their questions with care, Walker says.
“We’re here to find the facts. We can’t be cold when we do that. We can’t be dismissive,” he explains. “I’ve been in the room with other investigators who have completely tanked an investigation by asking insensitive, victim-blaming questions like, Oh, didn’t you want this to happen? Isn’t this what you really wanted the outcome to be?”
“Those are not questions we should be asking a victim. Those are questions we ask a suspect,” Walker says.
It’s also important to know that, as an investigator, you should allow extra time for victims to share their responses to questions. Prepare to potentially conduct multiple interviews with that person.
Investigators should also be prepared for people to become emotional during interviews and even cry. Investigators should ensure there are tissues in the room, that the victim knows he or she can request a break and that water is available.
Walker also says that if he knows a line of questioning is going to become strenuous, such as asking a victim specific questions about what happened during an alleged assault, he will let the interviewee know up front that the next set of questions he plans to ask may be stressful and that he will allow time for the individual to prepare to respond.
“Oftentimes in the private sector, we’re talking about multiple incidences that have happened over time,” Walker says. “Some may be more stressful than others. We have to be aware that these questions that we’re going to be asking in this phase of the interview are going to be more stressful.”
6. Be Prepared to Close the Interview
After completing a sensitive interview, Walker says it’s imperative that investigators have a plan to close out the interview out in a supportive manner.
“We never want to release a victim just out into the wild,” he adds. Instead, Walker recommends preparing for a warm handoff to someone who can provide support to the interviewee. Ideally, that individual would be responsible for driving the interviewee home, staying with the person for several hours, and ensuring that he or she abstains from drinking alcohol or taking drugs.
“We do have a high number of people who have been involved in these situations that become suicidal, unfortunately,” Walker says. “We don’t want to see that happen. We don’t want them to think that there is no care—that we just close the door and let them go off into the world. Having that warm handoff is very important.”
We’re here to find the facts. We can’t be cold when we do that. We can’t be dismissive.
Additionally, Walker says that, as part of the handoff, the investigator should leave communication channels open for the interviewee to reach him or her. Sharing a phone number or email address leaves the door open for interviewees to share any additional information they might feel is relevant to the investigation, as well as a point of contact who could help them connect with additional support services—such as counseling, if needed.
7. Don’t Take Your Work Home
It’s important throughout the course of an investigation that the investigator maintains his or her persona as a fact finder—not a victim, Walker says.
“If any of us are going to make a career out of this—20, 30, 40 years of doing this—you’ve got to be able to let stuff go,” he says. “Is it important? Absolutely. Should we take care of the victim? Absolutely. Should we want justice? Absolutely. At the end of the day, you can’t own the situation that happened. You weren’t involved. You are not the victim. You’re not the subject. You have to let them be who they are.”
Having a support system in place, such as trusted colleagues and partners, to talk about what happened and outstanding concerns can help with this process for investigators, Walker adds.
“Ultimately, the investigator needs to be able to disengage at the end of the day. You can’t carry these things home,” Walker adds. “You can’t carry these things on into your private life.”
Megan Gates is senior editor at Security Management. Connect with her at [email protected] or on LinkedIn.
