Interview and Interrogation Training: Emphatic Denials

In this week’s WZ / IAI interview and interrogation training tip, Dave Thompson, CFI is discussing one type of a verbal resistance a subject may provide, known as the emphatic denial. In an emphatic denial, the subject has chosen to bluntly state they have not committed whatever wrongdoing they are being accused of. A denial like this, may come out as a simple “I didn’t do it”. Our response can be different depending on whether we have evidence or we don’t. In some cases, especially when there is thorough evidence available, this is when the interviewer may choose to re-accuse the subject or reestablish credibility in the investigation. You may want to follow-up with rationalizations because the subject isn’t ready to tell you the truth.

Every loss prevention investigator should continuously strive to enhance their investigative interviewing skills as part of an ongoing commitment to best-in-class interviewing performance. This includes holding ourselves to an elite standard of interview and interrogation training that is ethical, moral and legal while demanding excellence in the pursuit of the truth. The International Association of Interviewers (IAI) and Wicklander-Zulawski (WZ) provide interview and interrogation training programs and additional guidance to investigators when dealing with dishonest employees, employee theft, sexual harassment, policy violations, building rapport, pre-employment interviewing, lying, denials and obtaining a statement.

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By focusing on the latest information and research from experts in the field as well as academia, legal and psychological resources, these video tips provide interview and interrogation training techniques that can enhance the skill sets of professionals with backgrounds in Law Enforcement, Loss Prevention, Security, Asset Protection, Human Resources, Auditors or anyone looking to obtain the truth.

To learn more about interview and interrogation training and how you can further develop your professional skill sets, please visit www.w-z.com or www.certifiedinterviewer.com for additional information.

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