The Art of Truthful Interviewing with Kids and Adults

 

Techniques for Making Interviews Comfortable and Open

 

 

When adults talk to kids for interviews, it's important to make them feel safe and comfortable. This can be done by techniques like listening carefully to what they say, making them know that their words are valued, understanding their feelings, and using words and activities that are easy for them to understand. Doing these things helps the interviewer and the child build a good relationship, so they can talk openly and honestly with each other.

 

 

Asking Neutral Questions for Honest Responses

 

 

Truthful interviewing means asking questions in a way that doesn't try to make the person being interviewed say what the interviewer wants to hear. It's important to ask neutral questions that let the person share their own thoughts and opinions without feeling pressured. These kinds of questions help the interviewer get honest information and build trust with the person being interviewed. It's a skill everyone who wants to be a journalist or researcher

 

 

Making People Feel Safe and Valued during Interviews

 

 

When we want to learn things from someone, we need to make sure they feel safe and comfortable. It is important for the person asking the questions to be kind and listen carefully. We should treat the person we are talking to with respect and not judge them. We also need to promise to keep what they say a secret. If the person needs extra help or someone to talk to, we should give them information about counselors or hotlines. By doing these things, we can make people feel safe and get good and truthful information from them.

 

 

Ensuring Accuracy

 

 

When interviewing someone, it's really important to get the right information so you can make good decisions. There are a few things you can do to make sure you get accurate information. One thing is called active listening, which means you really focus and pay close attention to what the person is saying. This helps you notice if something doesn't quite match up or if there are any mistakes in what they're telling you. Another thing you can do is ask open-ended questions, which are questions that make the person give more detailed answers instead of just saying yes or no.

 

 

Honest Information Gathering

 

 

This helps you learn even more about what they think. It's also important to create a comfortable and safe environment for the person you're interviewing by being friendly and not judging them. This makes them feel more comfortable and helps them be more honest with their answers. By using these techniques, you can gather accurate information and make good decisions based on what you've learned.