Forensic victimology assessments in child abuse and neglect cases

Victimology is the study of victims. Forensic victimology is the study of victims of crime to answer investigative and legal questions. A victimological assessment involves the examination of information from a number of domains including medical history, psychological history, financial history, and residential history. This information is then examined for patterns, themes, and association that informs on an overall risk assessment for the victim. As a child does not have enough life experience to have amassed information for each history and because they are so dependent on parents and other caregivers, a child victimology will inevitably include information about these significant other people.