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The aim of this paper was to provide a description of the trauma experiences, trauma-related sequels, and resilience features of a sample of Canadian youth in residential care facilities, as well as to explore the impact of gender and of the number of different traumas experienced on trauma-related sequels and resilience features. A convenience sample of 53 youth aged 14 to 17 recruited from six child protection residential care units agreed to voluntarily participate in the study. They were administered the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children, and the Child and Youth Resilience Measure. Results revealed high rates of abusive and neglectful experiences in the lives of these youth. Most have experienced multiple forms of trauma. Girls were more likely to report sexual abuse and to display clinical levels of sexual concerns, as well as posttraumatic stress and dissociation symptoms. Multiple forms of trauma were related to higher clinical levels of depression, anger, posttraumatic stress, and dissociation, as well as to lower individual, relational, and community resilience features.

Objective: Research confirms that many children and youth in child protective services (CPS) out-of-home care (OHC) have experienced multiple and often traumatic events that can lead to a variety of detrimental outcomes. Few CPS agencies have adopted standardized, trauma-focused assessment procedures, resulting in a gap in the provision of trauma-focused mental health services. The objective of this article is to propose a compendium of trauma-focused, evidence-based measures geared toward children and youth in OHC that can feasibly be incorporated into routine CPS practice. Method: Using a 4-stage search strategy, 9 measures designed to collect information on trauma exposure, trauma-related symptoms, and related behaviors were recommended based on desirable psychometric properties and practical considerations. Results: Although a plethora of measures exist to assess children and youth, a variety of measures geared toward the trauma-specific needs of children and youth in OHC are presented that demonstrate satisfactory psychometric properties and are considered feasible for implementation by CPS. Conclusion: This article fills a gap for children and youth in CPS OHC by proposing a compendium of measures suitable for a standardized, trauma-focused assessment procedure specifically aimed at this vulnerable population, which can serve as a catalyst for the development of specialized, trauma-focused services.

This exploratory study describes the child sexual abuse experiences of 53 youth (ages 14-17) in child protective services residential treatment care using three informants: youth (via the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire), residential treatment workers (via the Child Welfare Trauma Referral Tool), and the child protective services record. Child sexual abuse was self-reported by 38% of youth, with reporting by females almost four times higher. Child sexual abuse co-occurred with physical abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect in 75% of cases. Agreement between youth and residential treatment worker reports was high, while agreement between youth reports and their child protective services record was low. The study suggests systematic child sexual abuse screening among residential treatment care youth through self-reports and residential treatment worker reports. Case studies are provided, and implications for practice, policy, and future research are discussed.

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