Cleary Hayley M D
Department of Criminal Justice, L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, Virginia Commonwealth University.
Law Hum Behav. 2014 Jun;38(3):271-82. doi: 10.1037/lhb0000070. Epub 2013 Dec 30.
Although empirical attention to police interrogation has gained traction in recent years, comparatively few studies have examined interrogation of juvenile suspects, and virtually none have examined actual interrogations. Despite a growing literature on youths' interrogation-related capacities, we still know very little about what actually transpires when police question youth. The present study examines electronically recorded police interviews with juveniles to describe the characteristics, processes, and outcomes that occur in actual juvenile interrogations, including interview duration, individuals present, and confessions. Fifty-seven electronic recordings from 17 police departments were analyzed using observational research software. The median juvenile interrogation lasted 46 min, though the range was extensive (6 min to nearly 5 hr). Youth frequently submitted to questioning without a parent or advocate present, and disruptions to the interview process were common. Interrogation outcomes varied and included full confessions, partially incriminating admissions, and denials of guilt. Results from this study provide context for interrogation research using other methods and suggest that youth may frequently consent to interrogation in the absence of important legal protections.
尽管近年来对警方讯问的实证研究越来越受到关注，但对少年嫌疑人讯问的研究相对较少，几乎没有研究考察过实际的讯问情况。尽管关于青少年与讯问相关能力的文献越来越多，但我们对警方讯问青少年时实际发生的情况仍然知之甚少。本研究通过对警方与青少年的电子记录访谈进行考察，以描述实际少年讯问中出现的特征、过程和结果，包括访谈时长、在场人员和供述情况。使用观察性研究软件对来自17个警察部门的57份电子记录进行了分析。少年讯问的中位数时长为46分钟，不过范围跨度很大（6分钟至近5小时）。青少年经常在没有家长或辩护人在场的情况下接受讯问，访谈过程中的干扰很常见。讯问结果各不相同，包括完全认罪、部分有罪供述和否认有罪。本研究结果为使用其他方法进行的讯问研究提供了背景，并表明青少年在缺乏重要法律保护的情况下可能经常同意接受讯问。
