"Research into interviewing children—whether they are witnesses or victims—has made significant strides in recent years. Today, there is a clear understanding of what constitutes best practices in the field. Among the key techniques recognized by researchers and field practitioners are providing social support during the conversation, asking open-ended questions, and avoiding pressure or coercion," explains Gunn Astrid Baugerud.
Baugerud, a psychologist with a background in child welfare, is a professor at the Department of Social Work, Child Welfare and Social Policy at OsloMet.
Through a collaborative project with SimulaMet, she and her team have developed an AI-powered platform designed to train professionals in law enforcement and child welfare to conduct child interviews correctly and compassionately.
Best practices are rarely practiced
While extensive research has established methodologies and protocols for child interviews, the real challenge lies in training and maintaining such skills. In many cases, best practices fail to be implemented in practice.
"Continuous training in child interviewing is difficult to achieve. Intensive courses are helpful, but practicing with real people or actors is costly, time-consuming, and logistically challenging. This is a field that demands frequent and consistent practice," Baugerud notes.
Professor Gunn Astrid Baugerud. Photo: Sonja Balci / OsloMet
The technology behind the platform has given rise to Innsikt.AI, a company born from the collaboration between OsloMet and SimulaMet. The AI model powering the platform has been trained using specific, real-world interview data.
Despite the sophisticated underlying technology, the training tool is simple and intuitive to use.
On the screen in front of the user appears a 10-year-old girl in a hoodie—an avatar. The questions posed to the avatar are assessed in real-time, providing immediate feedback on whether they are appropriate or not, using visual indicators such as color coding.
Closed and leading questions are highlighted in red. Open-ended questions encourage dialogue. Photo: Illustration from the Innsikt.AI platform.
Protecting the rights of Ukrainian children
The technology is already in use in Norway and Canada, with growing interest from the United States. In June, Baugerud and her team also welcomed a delegation from Ukraine eager to learn about the avatar project.
The delegation included representatives from Ukraine's prosecution authorities and staff from the NGO Just Group (justgroup.com.ua).
The Ukrainian delegation was impressed as they tested the platform. During the allotted time, they worked intensely and with full concentration in front of their computer screens. Photo: Tor Even Marthinsen
Olesia Voloshyna, Deputy Head of the Department for the Protection of the Interests of Children and Combating Violence of the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine , sees immense potential in the technology:
"As a prosecutor, I have personally conducted child interviews alongside psychologists. It’s truly the case that children don’t open up right away. You need to create a safe environment and build trust so the child feels comfortable sharing their story," Voloshyna explains.
"That level of professionalism is critical when working with children."
Olesia Voloshyna, Deputy Head of the Department for the Protection of the Interests of Children and Combating Violence of the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine. Photo: Tor Even Marthinsen
Interviewing Ukrainian children who have experienced or witnessed potential war crimes and abuse, will be a critical task in the years ahead. Additionally, there are disturbing reports of Russia exploiting vulnerable Ukrainian children for espionage and sabotage.
This presents a complex challenge: the information obtained must be accurate and reliable, while also ensuring the children’s rights and emotional needs are protected. Empathy, patience, and professionalism are key to navigating these sensitive situations.
In a war-torn country with unstable infrastructure—both physical and institutional—this challenge becomes even more pronounced.
Children, by virtue of their age and development, are inherently a vulnerable group requiring additional protection and specialized approaches– Olesia Voloshyna
"The armed aggression by the Russian Federation has added layers of vulnerability for our children. They have experienced loss, evacuations, dangerous living conditions, shelling, and various forms of violence," says Voloshyna.
"Even when children are placed in comparatively safe environments, the heightened sense of threat they carry with them remains a factor. This undoubtedly creates unique challenges during investigative interviews with children," she adds.
The cost of inadequate interview training
In many cases, there is a lack of expertise in conducting interviews where these children are located. Often, children are forced to retell their stories repeatedly as they are shuffled from office to office, agency to agency.
An accessible and flexible training tool could make a significant difference in addressing these gaps.
Vasylyna Yavorska, Executive Director of Just Group, emphasizes the importance of standardized training based on best practices. Just Group is an organization that leverages evidence-based knowledge to improve Ukraine’s legal system.
"Exciting and realistic. The girl feels like a real child," were some of the comments from the delegation as they tested the platform. Photo: Screenshot from Innsikt.AI.
"Our team and experts have been working on the implementation of investigative interviews for almost seven years," Yavorska explains.
"We’ve developed and systematically implemented a foundational training program, created national standards, and partnered with law schools to incorporate this methodology into curricula. The need for standardized practices is immense."
The Ukrainian delegation’s visit to Oslo was organized by the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights at the University of Oslo, which collaborates with Just Group and Ukrainian authorities on a project focused on interview and interrogation methods in Ukraine (jus.uio.no).
In addition to their visit to OsloMet, the group also met with representatives from Norway’s Office of the Attorney General and KRIPOS.
Gunn Astrid Baugerud was awarded OsloMet's Innovation Prize in 2024 for her groundbreaking work on child avatars.
Further reading
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Next Generation Avatar for Information Gathering Interviews (ARGI)
This research group target development of a new dynamic avatar that will advance knowledge in learning information gathering interviews in law enforcement and child protective services.
