Psychological Assessment of Alleged Child Sexual Abuse Victims

Specific Guidelines for non-psychologist assessments of alleged abuse can be obtained partially through other sections mentioned on this web site. Further information and/or specialized training will be needed and can be pursued through the following organizations:

American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children:
www.apsac.org

Family Violence and Sexual Assault Institute:
www.fvsai.org

The National Association of Counsel for Children:
www.naccchildlaw.org

Georgia Council on Child Abuse:
www.gcca.org

National Children's Advocacy Center:
www.ncac-hsv.org

Southern Regional Child Advocacy Center:
www.ncac.org/srcac/index.htm

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention:
www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org

American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry:
www.aacap.org/clinical/index.htm

American Academy of Pediatrics:
www.aap.org/practice/childprotection.html

National Association of Social Workers: www.naswdc.org/practice/standards/child.htm

The International Society for the Study of Dissociation:
www.issd.org/

Information and training to specifically assist Georgia psychologists in psychological assessments can be further explored through the following organizations:

Georgia Psychological Association:
www.gapsych.org

American Psychological Association:
www.apa.org

The American Psychological Association has a number of linked web sites that psychologists will find invaluable in refining skills and broadening understanding of special issues in dealing with CSA cases. Perhaps the place to start with APA web site links is to review the ethical principles for psychologists concerning psychological assessments of CSA cases.

For a web site review, please consider paying special attention to the following categories: "Boundaries of Competence, Maintaining Expertise, Avoiding Harm, Multiple Relationships", the entire section of "Evaluation, Assessment, or Intervention", the entire section of "Privacy and Confidentiality", and the entire section on "Forensic Activities". These sections can all be found in the Table of Contents of the web site:
www.apa.org/ethics/code.html

To refine the issues further, it is suggested that psychologists review other APA web site links pertaining to psychological testing, including the following:

www.apa.org/science/testing.html

www.apa.org/science/standards.html

www.apa.org/science/disclosure.html

www.apa.org/science/faq-findtests.html

www.apa.org/science/ttrr.html

www.apa.org/science/testclearinghs.html

However, many psychologists will find that the most specifically applicable set of web site guidelines that APA lists for psychological assessments of suspected child sexual abuse victims are the "Guidelines for Psychological Evaluations in Child Protection Matters". These highly useful guidelines can be located at:
www.apa.org/practice/childprotection.html

It is from these APA guidelines, as well as from the author's practice experience, that the issues enumerated below are taken. They may be helpful to psychologists who find themselves in roles related to psychological assessment of children suspected (or confirmed) to have had experiences of sexual abuse.