Understanding a CPS Agents Questioning Techniques

Not to be mean or anything, but the problem is not that social workers railroad parents, it's that the parents let them and until you parents understand that, you will continue to be railroaded by CPS.  The CPS Agent will take full advantage of your ignorance and if you don't know your rights they will do so with your permission.

Perhaps in some point at dealings with a CPS worker you've noticed yourself falling into one of their traps?  You find yourself answering questions that lead to questions that lead to more questions, and before you know it the worker has a case.

Well let me break down for you how they did this.  It's a sadly simple formula that becomes a lesson in the English language.  Similar techniques are used by teachers to get children to open up about what they know and need to learn, and sales people use similar techniques to find what people want so they can maximize the profits on the sale.

First lets talk about what a "Question" is.

A Question is a sentence worded or expressed so as to elicit information.  

 CPS Agents use "Questions" as a tool to illicit information from parents and children.  While in the process of questioning a child or a parent, they are trained to listen for certain things of interest that are worth probing for more information.  They then start asking questions to elicit more information and on and on and on.

There are two types of questions.

1. Closed ended questions.
2. Open ended questions.  

For a much more in-depth explanation of open and closed ended questions, click below...

• Open and Closed Questions

A closed ended question or a direct question is looking for a simple direct answer.

• What is your name? 
• Did you do that?
• Did he hit you?

Closed ended questions can usually be answered in a short phrase or one word, such as your name, your address, yes, no.

• What is that?  That is a cat.

Lawyers are known to ask closed ended questions so that the witness can't explain themselves in a different light.  Here is a really good article about this from the Business Insider...

• How To Destroy A Witness On The Stand

An open ended question is a question that is designed to receive a more thoughtful answer.  In other words, they dig much deeper.

• Tell me about yourself?
• How did that happen?
• How did that make you feel?

Typically, a skilled CPS Agent can throw a mix of these at you.  

• Q: Did he hit you? A: No
• Q: Did he yell at you?  Yes
• Q: How did that make you feel? A: It made me feel sad, scared and lonely and will probably, according to social work theory, have a profound effect on the rest of my life.

CPS Agents will then follow up with more direct questions for verification purposes.

• So you said they did yell at you?

CPS Agents will sit there take notes and bounce around from subject to subject to confuse you, then revisit earlier answered questions to probe for more information.  Then she will go back to her office and write a report based on what she learned that is now in her notes.  

A person, such as myself, who is skilled in answering questions will see all of this coming and react accordingly.  

• SW: How did that make you feel? Me: How did what make me feel?
• SW: When your wife yelled at you?  Me. What do you mean?  I didn't say that.  What do you want to know?  

Social workers are also known to use leading questions, which is defined as: A question that prompts or encourages the desired answer.  

• SW: Does it make you feel scared when your mommy or daddy yells at you? (while smiling and nodding her head in a caring and sympathetic tone).  

Unfortunately, they use these same techniques on children.  That's why it's so important for the parent or a lawyer to be there when that happens.  The child might never even know they said anything wrong.

In my own experience, Social Workers are easily tripped up by this because they are used to dealing with the clueless and they do not expect to come across anybody who knows their game.  If you can make them resort back to closed ended questions and keep them talking, you are not giving the CPS Agent very much information to go on.  Therefore it is a lot harder for them to make their case against you.  

The other best alternative, of course, is to keep your mouth shut.  Most parents don't know enough to do that either.

Peace, love and flowers...

LK
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FMI: Read about the McMartin Preschool Trial which was totally botched by the technique used to question the children.

• McMartin preschool trial