ABSTRACT
Conducting a thorough clinical assessment is invaluable to the sub sequentt reatment of child maltreatment victims, perpetrators, and other involved clients (e.g., non-offending parents). The information gathered through the assessment can guide therapists in making decisions about appropriate treatment approaches. As was discussed in Chapter 6, a victim of child maltreatment may experience consequences in multiple domains, so determining which factors to assess can be a challenge. Likewise, understanding the background characteristics and motivation for treatment of perpetrators is essential to addressing safety-related and therapeutic considerations involved in their treatment. This chapter begins with some general considerations for conducting a clinical assessment when child maltreatment is suspected or confirmed. We then discuss specific areas of clinical assessment related to child maltreatment, including strategies for assessing these areas through open-ended questions and formal assessment instruments.
