INVESTIGATIVE HYPNOSIS - A DEVELOPING SPECIALITY

• NCJ Number: 63715
• Author(s): M REISER
• Date Published: Unknown
• Length: 16 pages
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THIS REPORT DESCRIBES A 1-YEAR RESEARCH DEMONSTRATION PROJECT WHICH TESTED THE FEASIBILITY OF TRAINING EXPERIENCED INVESTIGATORS IN INVESTIGATIVE HYPNOSIS TECHNIQUES.

Abstract

INITIATED IN JUNE 1975 WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE PROGRAM INVOLVED TRAINING 11 LIEUTENANTS AND 2 CAPTAINS (ALL EXPERIENCED INVESTIGATORS). THE RESEARCH DESIGN CONSISTED OF THREE PHASES: AN INITIAL TRAINING PHASE, A SUPERVISED PRACTICE PHASE, AND AN INDEPENDENT FUNCTIONING PHASE. TRAINEES WERE GIVEN 48 HOURS OF TRAINING AT THE POLICE ACADEMY BY A FACULTY-CONSULTANT PANEL, A COMBINATION OF THEORY AND PRACTICE SESSIONS. COURSE MATERIAL COVERED LEGAL ISSUES, ROLE OF THE HYPNO-INVESTIGATOR, AND BASIC PSYCHODYNAMICS AND PSYCHOPATHOLOGY. IN PHASE 2, THE HYPNO-INVESTIGATORS WERE ASSIGNED A CASE BY THE PROJECT DIRECTOR, AND IN PHASE 3, AFTER 8 MONTHS TRAINING, THEY WORKED AUTONOMOUSLY WITH A CONSULTANT ON CALL BUT NOT NECESSARILY PRESENT. DURING THE PROJECT'S 1-YEAR DEMONSTRATION PHASE, APPROXIMATELY 70 VOLUNTEER WITNESSES AND VICTIMS WERE INTERVIEWED BY THE HYPNO-INVESTIGATORS, AND IN 77 PERCENT OF THESE CASES, IMPORTANT INFORMATION WAS ELICITED THAT HAD NOT BEEN AVAILABLE BY ROUTINE INTERROGATION. MOREOVER, 16 PERCENT OF THESE CASES WERE SOLVED WITH THE AID OF HYPNOSIS. PROJECT FOLLOWUP DATA SHOWED THAT, IN 290 CASES, 31.4 PERCENT OF THE CASES WERE SOLVED WITH HYPNOSIS CONSIDERED VALUABLE IN 63.3 PERCENT OF THESE CASES. RECOGNIZING THE NEED FOR PROFESSIONAL AND ETHICAL STANDARDS FOR INVESTIGATIVE HYPNOSIS, THE HYPNO-INVESTIGATORS HAVE ESTABLISHED A SOCIETY FOR INVESTIGATIVE AND FORENSIC HYPNOSIS. MEMBERSHIP REQUIRES RELEVANT TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE AS WELL AS ADHERENCE TO THE ETHICAL CODE OF THE SOCIETY. THE INVESTIGATIVE HYPNOSIS PROGRAM HAS CONTINUED BEYOND THE FEASIBILITY STAGE AND IS NOW AN ONGOING SERVICE WITH THE LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT. INCLUDED IN THE REPORT ARE PROGRAM FORMS, THE TRAINING SYLLABUS, THE SECTIONS FROM THE SOCIETY'S CONSTITUTION, AND A LIST OF REFERENCES. (MJW)