Evaluating intervention outcomes for children who have been abused or neglected

This study investigated the emotional and behavioural presentation of abused and neglected children presenting for assessment and therapy at the Child Trauma Service of the Australian Childhood Foundation (ACF) in Tasmania. An aim of the study was to conduct exploratory analyses to investigate the impact of intervention by the Child Trauma Service on the symptoms and behaviour of children who have been abused or neglected. Further the study investigated the relationship between the number of foster care placements and the behaviour and psychopathology of children. Also the study aimed to investigate whether the quality of the carer-child relationship is related to the symptoms and behaviours of children as they present at the time of referral. The study employed a data-mining procedure whereby data was obtained from the client files of closed cases from the ACF’s Tasmanian Child Trauma Service. Sources of data included qualitative information obtained from Therapeutic Assessment Reports and case reviews. Psychometric data was also gathered from the client files. Psychometric tests used by the service and examined in this study include: the Parenting Relationship Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents (PRQ–CA) and for pre-school children (PRQ–P), the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Young Children (TSCYC), the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSCC), the Behaviour Assessment System for Children (BASC–2), and the Child Sexual Behaviour Inventory (CSBI–3). The results of this study will be discussed in terms of the efficacy of services provided to abused and neglected children in Tasmania with recommendations given tin relation to best practice when working with these children.