The Juhnke, Henderson, Juhnke Child Abuse and Neglect Risk Assessment Scale

Abstract

Family counselors often counsel families where children are at increased risk of maltreatment. Yet there exists a paucity of free, brief, face-to-face, standardized, assessment instruments designed for family counselors to assess child abuse. To address this paucity, the authors created The Juhnke, Henderson, Juhnke Child Abuse and Neglect Risk Assessment scale. The scale is an evidenced informed instrument that considers 20 child maltreatment risk factors identified by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS) Office of Child Abuse and Neglect. The primary purpose of the scale is to facilitate a thorough maltreatment assessment and to generate guidelines that can be used, in conjunction with clinical judgment, to aid in the creation of an effective child protective agency report and potentially facilitate effective intervention.