This classification includes teachers; an instructional Identifying families where abuse occurs requires the helping professional first of all to believe that child abuse can occur in any family, regardless of socio-economic status, religion, education, ethnic background, or other factors. Assessments of child abuse must be comprehensive. There are four major assessment areas to be considered: 1) the child; 2) the parents; 3) the family interactions; and 4) the environment. Some general assessment guidelines follow:

The Child

• The presence of physical and behavioral indicators
• The child tells someone of abuse

The Parents

• Parent is unable/unwilling to meet basic needs of child
• Parent shares homicidal thoughts/feelings towards child
• Parent shares that she/he uses objects to hit child
• Parent hitting an infant
• Parent uses extreme discipline
• Parent berates, humiliates, belittles child constantly
• Parent expects too much of child
• Parent turns to child to have her/his needs met
• Parent impulsive, unable to use internal controls
• Parent attributes badness to child or misinterprets normal child behavior
• Parental indifference to child

The Family

• Over-or under-involved parents
• Disturbed family structure (eg., kids are caretaking the parents)
• Harsh, punitive, negative interactions
• Emotional distance
• Rejecting behaviors
• Threatening behaviors
• Lack of attention, affection
• Poor judgments that endanger child

The Environment

• Unsafe, hazardous conditions
• Health risks (presence of rats, feces, no heat, etc.) or unsanitary
• Extreme dirt affecting health

Child abuse occurs on a continuum. If these behaviors exist to an extreme or in combination, it is possible that the child(ren) will be at risk. If when concluding an assessment, the professional has reasonable suspicion of abuse, a report will elicit an investigation of the situation. None of the issues listed above constitute child abuse in and of themselves, but may indicate an environment where child(ren) need protection.