The challenges of interviewing suspects displaying disruptive behaviors - An explorative study of police interviewers’ beliefs

The aim of the study was to explore the research question: What challenges to building rapport can police interviewers experience when interviewing suspects displaying disruptive behaviors, and how can these challenges be managed? To gather data, 14 police officers in academic positions (with previous experience of investigations), completed a five open text-question questionnaire. Thematic analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between the research question and the data, which resulted in three main themes: (1) Disruptive behaviors and their influence on the interview process, (2) Being prepared through knowledge of the case and the person, and (3) Responding to resistance through communication, understanding, and relating to the interviewee’s state. The results of the study describe the challenges of suspects’ disruptive behavior with a particular emphasis on, if one phase is handled well, it has consequences for the coming phases of the interview. The findings also highlight the importance of planning and preparing the interviews, particularly regarding strategies for establishing and maintaining rapport, as well as being able to respond constructively to the suspect’s behavior during the interview. The results are discussed in relation to current protocols and research on the interviewing of suspects.