Unveiling the Reid Technique: How Coercive Interrogation Tactics Fail to Protect Juveniles

Author: Sofia Kalaitzis

Field of Study: Social Sciences

Program Affiliation: Source Project Research Program

Faculty Mentors: Alexandra Moore

Easel: 30

Timeslot: Morning

Abstract: The United States’ failure to ratify the Conventions on the Rights of the Child (CRC) points to inadequacies in the criminal justice system. This omission reflects a broader failure: the criminal justice system is unable to adequately protect children, particularly regarding the protections against self-incrimination. The Reid Technique, a psychological interrogation method used by police, elicits confessions through a series of manipulative tactics and demonstrates unethical exploitation at the hands of the criminal justice system, undermining the justice system and revealing a failure to protect child rights in accordance with the CRC and Fifth and Eighth Amendments. The legal, psychological, and ethical implications of the Reid Technique on juveniles can be examined using case law, empirical studies, and human rights framework. These practices constitute fundamental violations of due process and require the urgent need for legal reforms to align juvenile interrogation procedures with constitutional and international standards.