Nov 25, 2019 by Foresight
What is a Child Psychologist and how do they assess psychological trauma?
A Child Psychologist Expert Witness can be instrumental in cases concerning divorce, domestic and sexual abuse, trafficking and criminal defence. Using their years of hands-on expertise, a Child Psychologist will conduct a variety of psychological assessments to determine the cognitive development and behavioural traits of children and adolescents. As leading providers of expert witnesses for legal cases, we’re taking a closer look at why you may need a Child Psychologist Expert Witness to support your case.
What’s the difference between Adult Psychology and Child Psychology?
Child and Adult Psychologists provide assessments and treatments for individuals with psychological disorders, mental health issues, social problems and other concerns. Unlike adults, children undergo a vast amount of developmental changes as they grow up - including physical, hormonal, social and cognitive development. When instructed as an expert witness, a Child Psychologist will consider any external factors, such as familial security and family history, as well as use their skills to assess the behaviour of the child alongside their cognitive capacity and development. Although they are called a Child Psychologist, it is important to note Child Psychologists can also assess adults, as events in a person’s childhood may have greatly affected their involvement in a crime committed as an adult.
Which cases require a Child Psychologist Expert Witness?
Child Psychology is an incredibly complex discipline and experts are frequently sourced for a wide variety of cases, including incidents where a child has suffered or witnessed domestic, sexual and/or substance abuse. For example, in Family Law, children are frequently involved in care proceedings and a Child Psychologist Expert Witness will deliver assessments from developmental issues, family dynamics and cognitive functioning to sibling and parent relationships, as well as the effects of drugs, alcohol and violence in the home.
In Criminal Law, a Child Psychologist may help the court understand the motivations behind the criminal activity in question. In cases where a child may be called to give testimony in court, the Child Psychologist Expert Witness will also use their expertise to determine what extent the child’s testimony can be taken as fact.
Instructing Foresight to source an expert witness for your case
From childhood to adolescence through to adulthood, our skilled Child Psychologists work with individuals of all ages to determine the psychological impact of events in their childhood. Following in-depth psychometric, memory and IQ testing, our highly qualified expert witnesses will gain the vital insight needed to accompany your case and will produce a quality report ready to be used in court.
With an eminent Expert Panel made up of over 750 hand-picked professionals - who are all renowned in their field - our dedicated Case Handlers will source the most suitably qualified expert for your case.
To learn more about our services, please click here.
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