Assessing Childhood Trauma: A Guide for Justice Professionals

Traumatic events during childhood have an impact on the victim’s brain development, emotional regulation capacity, and behavior throughout the lifespan. Having the ability to assess an individual for the effects of childhood trauma better enables us to work effectively with them, and more effectively encourage compliance.

Participants will be able to:

• Recognize an individual’s cognitive and emotional behaviors that may indicate childhood trauma.
• Exhibit behaviors that help an individual feel comfortable to interact productively.
• Know the questions to ask that will assist in evaluating an individual for childhood trauma, without triggering that trauma.