What is it.
This study investigates whether the presence of facility dogs during forensic interviews with children influences the quality of the interviews—specifically, whether children provide more detailed accounts of alleged abuse and whether interviewers maintain adherence to non-suggestive questioning protocols. The findings suggest that while facility dogs may help reduce stress and provide emotional comfort to the child, they have little influence on forensic interviews. The study confirms that interviewers using facility dogs still adhered to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) investigative interview protocol, which is a gold standard for non-suggestive, developmentally appropriate questioning.
How can it help me?
Contrary to popular belief among legal professionals and stakeholders, the presence of facility dogs did not enhance the amount or quality of information disclosed by children. Importantly, their presence did not negatively impact interviewer behaviour or increase suggestibility. While facility dogs may offer emotional comfort, their influence on cognitive aspects of disclosure appears limited. For CYACs, this means that incorporating facility dogs does not risk contaminating evidence—a key concern in multidisciplinary investigations involving law enforcement, child protection, and legal proceedings.
