What is a typical goal of victim-centered investigations regarding interviews?

• A. To limit the number of interviews the victim must endure
• B. To seek the maximum number of interviews
• C. To conduct all interviews with the victim and a therapist
• D. To avoid interviewing the victim at all

Answer: (A)

A victim-centered approach focuses on minimizing harm to the survivor, so investigators aim to limit how many times the victim has to be interviewed. The idea is to gather all necessary information in a careful, coordinated way—often through one thorough interview or a carefully planned set of interviews with support from advocates or specialists—so the victim isn’t repeatedly retraumatized. This balance means you still collect essential details, but you avoid forcing the survivor through unnecessary interviews or excessive stress.

Choosing more interviews would increase distress and potentially impact the accuracy of information, while requiring all interviews to be conducted with a therapist isn’t standard practice, and avoiding the victim’s interview altogether would leave critical information undiscovered.