ABSTRACT
Child maltreatment assessment is similar to risk assessment in that it involves evaluating risk factors across three domains – parent risk factors, child risk factors, and environmental risk factors. Child maltreatment assessment, however, also evaluates other indicators of current or past maltreatment like children’s symptoms. This chapter outlines forms of assessment and how to obtain information according to the bioecological model. Standardized instruments were described and obstacles to assessment were presented. This chapter presents a strategy for child maltreatment. Observational assessment, self-report assessment, standardized assessment, and continuous assessment are all presented, along with a list of useful standardized child assessment instruments. Obstacles to forensic child maltreatment assessment are presented with a bioecological approach to information gathering. A note on interviewing children, including avoiding leading questions and false memories, is discussed.
