Citation

Hartwig M, Dawson EC, Wrede O, Ask K. Psychiatry Psychol. Law. 2012; 19(5): 672-681.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, Australian and New Zealand Association of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Law, Publisher Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/13218719.2011.615814

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Most victims of domestic violence are abused repeatedly over time. Hence, investigative challenges arise concerning victims' ability to recall particular events. This research focuses on investigators' understanding of memory-based problems associated with repeated victimization and their strategies to facilitate recall. Eighty-one Swedish police officers completed a questionnaire probing their beliefs about memory for repeated events, aims of witness interviews and specific memory-enhancing techniques. A large proportion reported not making any extra preparations or using specific techniques to tackle the challenges of interviewing victims of repeated violence. However, respondents were largely aware of problematic memory features, including source monitoring errors, and they reported using scientifically supported techniques.