The Barnahus Center in Bucharest, the first of its kind to open in Romania, addresses the need for child-friendly and integrated services for children who are victims of any type of abuse and are involved in legal proceedings.

The Barnahus model is an integrated model of psychological and medical assessment, interviewing, and protection services for child victims of sexual abuse and victims of violence of any kind. The center operates in compliance with quality standards for the organization of services provided to child victims.

Among the Barnahus Center’s operating standards is the provision of therapeutic services to child victims involved in legal proceedings (Standard 8). This standard entails providing psychological assessment and counseling services to child victims of sexual abuse and violence of any kind, as well as to their (non-abusive) caregivers.

In this article, we will discuss how child victims of sexual assault and other forms of abuse can access psychological assessment services, as well as what happens during the psychological assessment.

Who can access psychological assessment services?

Any minor who has experienced physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, as well as the minor’s non-abusive parents or caregivers. What does it mean for a minor to have experienced abuse? Either the child was directly involved—that is, was the direct victim of the abuse—or witnessed abuse against a close family member.

Why is a psychological evaluation of the child necessary?

Whether or not the child is currently exhibiting specific emotional states, behaviors, or symptoms as a result of the abuse they experienced, parents may wonder whether the child has been affected or whether they will develop post-abuse symptoms in the medium or long term. As parents, it is important to “assess” your child’s current mental state and take any necessary measures to prevent the development of symptoms in the future.

What does a psychological evaluation of a child involve?

Regardless of the child’s age—whether they are four years old or a teenager—the evaluation will generally involve discussions with caregivers/parents, direct interaction between the psychologist and the child being evaluated, as well as the completion of questionnaires addressed either only to the parents (if the child cannot read or write), or to both the parents and the child or adolescent.

What is assessed?

Specialists at the Barnahus Center will assess the child’s or adolescent’s current mental state. They will seek to assess the child’s overall level of cognitive development, whether the child exhibits conditions or symptoms such as anxiety, depression, anger, etc., and whether the child has sleep or eating disorders (for example, if the child has nightmares or a lack of appetite), they will observe how the minor interacts socially with adults and peers (for example, whether they are withdrawn or isolated), as well as any concerning behaviors (suicidal thoughts, thoughts of self-harm, addiction to alcohol or other illicit substances, risky sexual behaviors, etc.).

What happens after the evaluation is complete?

The psychological evaluation will conclude with the psychologist’s findings regarding the child’s mental state at the time of the evaluation.

The results of the evaluation will be shared with the parent or guardian during a face-to-face discussion with the psychologist who conducted the evaluation. Depending on the results of the evaluation, the psychologist may recommend that the parent enroll the child in a psychological counseling program, refer the child to other specialists (for example, for a psychiatric consultation), or, if no concerning issues are identified at present or in the future, the evaluation process may be concluded.

Is a psychological evaluation at the Center the same as a psychological expert opinion?

The short answer is “no”; a psychological evaluation is not the same as a psychological expert opinion.

A psychological assessment can be conducted by Barnahus Center specialists at the direct request of the minor’s guardians, with the consent of both parents (in cases of joint custody), and the results of the assessment will be communicated only verbally to the parent who made the direct request. Access to these services is optional and depends solely on the parents’ decision and consent.

A psychological expert assessment is a highly complex investigative process. It is conducted by specially trained psychologists (psychological/forensic experts) at the direct request (order) of a criminal investigative authority (court, prosecutor, police officer). The child’s participation is not optional; it is mandatory, as it is subject to the decision of a criminal investigative authority in the context of criminal investigations. The psychological evaluation concludes with the expert psychologist drafting a Psychological Evaluation Report, which is provided only to the direct requester—that is, the investigative authority. You can find more information about psychological evaluations here.

Article written by Patricia Aramă, clinical psychologist and expert psychologist specializing in the psychological assessment and forensic evaluation of children