Interview Considerations – Complex Trauma

Complex trauma occurs when a child is subjected to repetitive and chronic forms of adversity and abuse (i.e., neglect or emotional, physical, or sexual abuse). These experiences can result in emotional, social, behavioral, neurocognitive, and physical health impairments that exist throughout the individual’s life. This is especially true when traumatic experiences go undetected, and the trauma victim is under supported.

While not all-encompassing, Table 1 highlights some of the possible consequences associated with complex trauma exposure.

Table 1: Potential Consequences of Complex Trauma
Cognitive	Slower information processing Memory deficits Attentional control problems Concentration difficulties Confusion
Affective	Avoidance Affective dysregulation Volatility Anger management issues
Social	Verbal and nonverbal communication deficits Difficulty making friends Humor deficits Struggles with maintaining relationships
Behavioral	Hyperactivity Impulsivity Recklessness Risk-taking behaviors Self-injurious behaviors
Health	Physical health problems (e.g., HPA axis dysfunction, digestive troubles) Poor nutritional habits Psychopathology (e.g., anxiety and mood disorders) Sleep problems Substance abuse
Life	Developmental immaturity Low educational attainment Difficulty maintaining employment Victimization Criminal justice involvement

Impacts on Interviewing

Interviewing persons with complex trauma histories in criminal justice settings can be a challenging and complicated process. In fact, complex trauma can substantially impact legal interviews, testimony, and other processes in the criminal justice system.

Important Considerations

The familiarization of criminal justice professionals with complex trauma has the potential improve the interviewing process of persons with extensive trauma histories. In turn, the eliciting of increasingly accurate information holds the potential to reduce the likelihood of miscarriages of justice (e.g., false confessions and wrongful convictions). As such, there are several key points about complex trauma that all law enforcement interviewers need to know to conduct effective interviews.

Area	Important Considerations about Complex Trauma for Law Enforcement Interviewers
Cognitive
Dissociation	In some instances, complex trauma can increase the risk of dissociation. During the interviewing process, this may contribute to interviewees mentally separating themselves from their traumatic experiences by detaching emotionally, compartmentalizing painful feelings and memories, or engaging in fantasy.
Executive Functioning Impairments	Impairments in the area of executive function are common among persons with a complex trauma history. Executive function capabilities involve several higher order cognitive processes including working memory, cognitive flexibility, inhibition, abstract and conceptual thinking, strategic planning, decision-making, and judgement. Executive functioning impairments can also contribute to planning, organization, and time management difficulties. Interviewees with deficits in the area of executive function are at a significant disadvantage when trying to navigate the various stages of the criminal justice system.
Sensory Processing Deficits	Complex trauma histories can contribute to sensory processing difficulties. Interviewees with such deficits may have increased sensitivity to light, sound, certain smells, office clutter, and multi-tasking. These can lead to unexplained, underactive, or overactive behaviors. In some instances, the reactions displayed by the interviewee may appear confusing.
Affect
Emotional Regulation Problems	Interviewees with a complex trauma history may experience emotional regulation problems. When this occurs, interviewees may be more prone to emotional outbursts, have difficulty de-escalating, and struggle with describing feelings and internal experiences. This can significantly impede an interviewee’s ability to cope with and manage feelings during the interviewing process.
Emotional Dysregulation	Persons who experienced complex trauma often struggle to manage their emotional responses. This is especially the case during times of increased stress, worry, fear, confusion, and frustration. Some of these responses may be displaced as anger, aggression, anxiety, dissociative states, and hyperarousal.
Social-Communication
Attachment Problems	Interviewers should be aware that interviewees with a history of complex trauma may experience attachment problems. Attachment problems can contribute to a host of adverse outcomes including the interviewee believing that the world is dangerous, unpredictable, and unsafe. In addition, the interviewee may be in a constant state of self-defense mode, being unable to shift from defensive reactions, or relying on others for help with a tendency to be over-dependent on others.
Language Difficulties	Interviewees with a complex trauma history may experience language-related impairments (e.g., pragmatic, expressive, and receptive). This may contribute to the interviewee struggling to process questions being asked or communicating responses during the interviewing process. Other impairments sometimes associated with language difficulties include a poor understanding of vocabulary, difficulty processing complex sentences, difficulty following directions or staying on topic, reading comprehension deficits, difficulty learning new material, and problems reading social cues.
Social Skill Limitations	Some persons impacted by complex trauma histories may experience social skill deficits. Some deficits associated with social skill limitations that criminal justice interviewers should be aware of include interviewees’ proneness to lacking stranger danger, inappropriate choice of friends, naivete and gullibility that lead to being easily manipulated and scapegoated, social immaturity, superficial interactions, inability to appreciate others’ perspectives, and difficulty interpreting facial expressions and body language.
Other
Poor Self-Concept	It is not uncommon for persons with a complex trauma history to have a poor self-concept. During the interviewing process, this may contribute to the interviewee lacking a continuous and predictable sense of self. In some instances, this can cause the interviewee to experience low self-esteem, feelings of shame and guilt, self-doubt, self-criticism, and a generalized sense of being ineffective in dealing with the environment.
Sleep Disturbances	It is not uncommon for persons impacted by complex trauma to experience sleep disturbances. When interviewing a sleep-deprived person, information obtained may be incomplete or inaccurate. Sleepy interviewees may be less likely to process information correctly and more prone to make more errors compared to well-rested persons. There is also some research pointing to the fact that sleep deprivation may contribute to suggestibility and some cases of false confessions.
Trauma Triggers	Interviewers should be aware that interviewees with a history of complex trauma may experience a variety of trauma triggers. Such triggers can vary by person and situation. Some of the more common trauma triggers may include loud noises, certain hand or body gestures, confusion or chaos, changes in routine, certain smells, and separation from support systems.

Special Precautions & Key Questions

Special precautions should be taken when interviewing persons with complex trauma histories. As stated previously, criminal justice interviewers are strongly encouraged to seek out additional education, training, and resources on these important and complex topics. The information shared here is only a starting point. The following table highlights questions that all professionals should consider when interviewing vulnerable or special needs populations.

Area of Considerations	Questions to Consider When Interviewing People with Complex Trauma Histories?
Background	Does the interviewee have a history of falsely confessing or telling stories that are inaccurate and false? Is the interviewee unfamiliar with the legal process or possess legal rights deficits?
Cognitive	Does the interviewee experience any information processing problems? Does the interviewee have any intellectual disabilities? Does the interviewee have a limited memory capacity? What is the interviewee’s level of suggestibility? Does the interviewee have any attentional or learning problems? Does the interviewee have literalness and rigidity in thought? What is the interviewee’s level of fantasy proneness? Does the interviewee fail to appreciate consequences? Does the interviewee exhibit poor appraisals of time relationships?
Social (A Component of Adaptive Functioning)	Does the interviewee have difficulty understanding pragmatic or social communications? Does the interviewee use words without fully understanding their meaning? Is the interviewee conflict-avoidant? Does the interviewee lack assertiveness? Is the interviewee gullible? Is the interviewee self-aware? Does the interviewee have self-esteem problems? Does the interviewee have a history of rule following problems? Does the interviewee have a tendency toward heightened anxiety, distress, fear, or worry in social situations?
Adaptive Functioning	How does the interviewee perform in nonstructured settings? How does the interviewee perform without assistance from others? How does the interviewee manage his or her behaviors in social settings? How does the interviewee manage and control his or her emotions during times of increased stress? Does the interviewee have good coping abilities?

Read the next article in the series.

Pleases cite as

Jerrod Brown, “Interview Considerations – Complex Trauma: A Beginner’s Guide for Criminal Justice Interviewers,” Police Chief Online, June 1, 2022.

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Table 2: Relevant Topics to Cover in Educational/Training Settings
Cognition	Abstract reasoning Attentional control Cognitive flexibility Executive functioning Information processing Intellectual functioning Meta-cognition Sensory processing Theory of Mind (ToM)
Memory	Working memory Suggestibility Confabulation Memory distrust
Adaptive Functioning	Comprehension Decision-making Discrepancy detection Organizational skills Problem-solving
Social (A component of Adaptive Functioning)	Acquiescence Attachment Compliance Empathy Gullibility Pragmatic language skills Moral reasoning Naivete Decision-making
Affect	Alexithymia Emotion regulation Irritability