Assessment and Screening Tools for Trauma in Children and Adolescents

Abstract

The need for thorough and accurate assessment of trauma in the lives of children and adolescents has become extremely important for the implementation of appropriate interventions. This article reviews 35 measures, 25 in depth and 10 in brief, that are currently available for use by researchers and practitioners. Instruments were divided into four domains: those that screen for (1) both a history of exposure to traumatic events and the presence of symptoms of trauma; (2) only a history of exposure; (3) symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or Dissociations; and (4) multiple symptoms of trauma (i.e. depressions, anger, sexual concerns, as well as PTSD). Information about the type of instrument, how trauma is constructed, psychometric properties, and practical issues are addressed for each of the 25 measures. A brief analysis is also provided for each measure.

You Learn What You Live: Prevalence of Childhood Adversity in the Lives of Juveniles Arrested for Sexual Offenses

“…Early adversity has been clearly linked to negative health, mental health, and behavioral outcomes across the lifespan (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013;Felitti et al, 1998). Social workers and social service organizations have begun to embrace trauma-informed practices as a crucial part of the psychosocial assessments and interventions provided to clients in general, and to adult sexual offenders more specifically (Levenson, 2017;Levenson & Willis, 2014;SAMHSA, 2014a;Strand, Sarmiento, & Pasquale, 2005). The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence rates of child maltreatment and family problems in the lives of juveniles who have been arrested for sexual crimes.…”

Adverse Childhood Experiences of Low-Income Urban Youth

“…More comprehensive childhood adversity measures exist but may not reflect inner-city youth experiences, as these measures were designed from interviews with mostly white, middle to upper middle class youth from rural and suburban communities. [29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36] Measuring adverse experiences is important for urban economically distressed children, who, in addition to experiencing poverty as an adversity, may be subjected to the experiences of abuse, neglect, and family dysfunction, along with a host of other stressors, including community violence, discrimination, and peer victimization. 9,37 The large percentage of racial minorities comprising low-income urban populations makes having an understanding of cultural norms key to conceptualizing adversity in these communities.…”

Screening tools for child sexual abuse

“…Um teste de triagem em si não tem o objetivo de ser diagnóstico, e uma força-tarefa estadunidense não encontrou evidências suficientes para recomendar ou desaconselhar a triagem de rotina em pais ou responsáveis no que diz respeito a violência familiar 2 . Na medicina, a triagem tem sido utilizada em muitos estados de doença, e inúmeros instrumentos têm sido disponibilizados para identificar abuso físico, abuso sexual e negligência em crianças [3][4][5][6] . Historicamente, o propósito inicial da triagem era poder distinguir as características de crianças abusadas sexualmente das características de crianças que não sofriam abuso.…”

“…Se, por um lado, sintomas comportamentais e revelações são importantes no tratamento médico e nas investigações dos serviços de proteção, por outro, achados físicos positivos, embora incomuns, são altamente associados com veredictos de culpa 9 . Uma revisão de vários instrumentos de avaliação e triagem existentes para trauma em crianças e adolescentes concluiu que nenhuma medida comporta, sozinha, todas as situações, e que novos instrumentos são necessários para preencher lacunas nos procedimentos de avaliação atualmente disponíveis 6 . O instrumento de Salvagni & Wagner começa a abordar esses temas, uma vez que combina itens de instrumentos padronizados com achados físicos.…”