Psychological Assessment of Alleged Child Sexual Abuse Victims

General Guidelines for psychological assessments can start with a list of questions psychologists frequently are asked to address in the assessment of CSA cases:

• How seriously has the child's well being been affected by the abuse?
• What therapeutic interventions would be recommended to assist the child?
• Can the parent(s) be successfully treated to prevent harm to the child in the future?
• Do other psychological problems exist separately from abuse issues?
• What would be the psychological effect on the child if returned to the parent(s)?
• What would be the psychological effect on the child if separated from the parents, or if parental rights are terminated? ("Guidelines for Psychological Evaluations in Child Protection Matters", P.3, 1998)

Attempting to answer these questions through psychological assessments can be very challenging and even stressful to psychologists. It is important for psychologists who choose to accept the task of assessment in CSA cases to be adequately trained and prepared for the complex issues involved. However, the guidelines suggested on this web site and by the APA are not meant to be mandatory, with penalties attached to non-compliance. In fact, practice guidelines continue to be updated and are in the process of flux and change. Guidelines suggested here are meant to be aspirational and not mandatory.