Forensic Assessment in Child Custody and Child Abuse Cases

Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience

Forensic Assessment in Child Custody and Child Abuse Cases

Full course description

Forensic assessment in child custody and child abuse cases (CCA) is the most complex form of assessment a forensic psychologist can be asked to conduct. This type of assessment requires extensive knowledge of child development, child and adult psychopathology, family dynamics and the causes and consequences of trauma, including parental separation. During this course, students will be exposed to best-evidence standards for CCA and will examine real-life CCA forensic evaluations considering these best-evidence standards and the latest empirical research.

Course objectives

At the end of this course students:   

  • can perform a critical review of a forensic report in a child custody/child abuse case;
  • are familiar with the UN Convention for the Rights of the Child and with ethical Best Practice Guidelines in this domain of forensic psychological practice in child custody and child abuse cases
  • can judge which tools to use for a forensic evaluation in an alleged child abuse or child custody case.
  • Have basic knowledge and experience with a child forensic interview protocol (i.e., NICHD protocol), a child abuse risk assessment instrument (i.e., CARE-Version 2), and a screening tool for intimate partner violence (MASIC).
PSY4616
Period 5
7 Apr 2025
6 Jun 2025
Print course description
ECTS credits: 
2.0
Instruction language: 
English
Coordinators:
Teaching methods: 
Assignment(s), Lecture(s), Presentation(s), Skills, Work in subgroups
Assessment methods: 
Attendance, Assignment
Keywords: 
Child custody, child abuse, forensic evaluation, parenting capacity, children’s rights, risk assessment