Weekly Tip #50
How To Handle The Guilty Subject's Fear
Dear Fellow Interrogators:
Welcome to my Weekly Tip page.
Over my 30+ years of interviewing I’ve made thousands of small observations of human behavior that have proven useful when trying to get to the truth. At times, and in a given context, they are explainable. At other times the reasons for these mannerisms/foibles totally elude me – nevertheless they exist, are observable, and may just give you that extra little insight into your subject’s mind.
Here's a tip on how to address and manage your guilty subject's fear of confessing:
How to handle the guilty subject's fear
Keep in mind that the guilty subject is holding back from confessing out of fear. Fear of:
- Jail
- Losing their family if they confess
- Damaging their reputation
- Losing their job
- Retribution
- Loss of face or embarrassment
During your RPM-ing period (when you are rationalizing, projecting and minimizing their offense as outlined in Tip #48) you should also determine which their greatest fear is.
While RPM-ing I run through each of the fears in terms of a subject's particular circumstance till I hit the one that causes something to change inside of them. Watch their face and hands especially. You will see an emotional change when you bring up the particular fear that is most paralyzing them. This is what is preventing them from moving on to Acceptance and the realization that they have to admit to their wrongdoing.
At this stage you must lessen this fear by addressing it and offering them choices and options to regain face. Speculate, in RPM terms, how and why the crime could have occured. Keep offering ways out that address and relieve their particular fear.
You: I know you didn't intend for this to happen, Mark. I know you're a good kid and you were raised right. Your Mama will understand that you just had too much to drink that night.
You: Bob, I know you're afraid of those other guys - most of the time you and I know that a guy like Louis is nothing but hot air. If everyone was gotten back and paid back for talking in situations like this we would go nowhere with any investigation. 99% of the time everyone thinks like you. You know, pay back generally doesn't happen.
As soon as you see Acceptance or submission start offering that way out we discussed in our last tip.
The next tip will take a look at a guilty subject's submission signals.
Stay dry
Glenn
Copyright 2010, D. Glenn Foster. All Rights Reserved.
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