When society needs to understand a child’s situation, what the child reports is crucial. However, the information obtained depends fundamentally on how the interview is conducted.
“Children are more susceptible to influence than adults. This is why interviews must be conducted using structured methodologies to avoid shaping or distorting their accounts,” says Anneli Larsson, PhD in Psychology and Senior Lecturer at the Department of Social Work.
The episode of Uppdrag granskning is based on a case where deficiencies in interviewing practices have had serious consequences in the social service investigation.
Lack of knowledge and poor practice undermine legal safeguards
Despite extensive research demonstrating the existence of well-established, evidence-based methods for interviewing children, practitioners do not always apply this knowledge consistently in practice.
“A professional interview differs fundamentally from an everyday conversation. Without sufficient training, interviewers may act in a suggestive manner. This influences the child’s account and ultimately undermine the legal integrity of the process,” says Anneli Larsson, and continues:
“One of the most important principles is to ensure that the child can provide an independent account, free from pressure to agree with the interviewer.”
Knowledge and training as key factors
In addition, there is often a lack of systematic documentation of social services’ interviews with children, making it difficult to evaluate and develop practice.
“We still know too little about how these interviews are actually conducted in practice. More research is needed, along with better conditions for implementing evidence-based approaches.”
At the Department of Social Work, researchers and teachers are actively working to strengthen professional competence in this area. Students in the social work programme receive training in interviewing children, and continuing education courses are also offered for practitioners.
“It is about understanding why these methods are designed the way they are - and about practising them. That is how we can contribute to a more legally sound and evidence-based practice,” says Anneli Larsson.
Text: Anna Vörös, communications officer at the Institution of Social Work
FACTS: High demand for knowledge about legally sound interviews
On 22 April 2026, researcher Anneli Larsson participated in SVT’s Uppdrag granskning on the importance of legally sound interviews with children. Her colleague Sara Landström, Professor of Legal Psychology at the University of Gothenburg, did also participate.
Ongoing research projects
Examples of current research projects involving Anneli Larsson:
