Adolescents and Children Risk of Abuse and Maltreatment Tool (ACRAM)

Abstract

The Adolescents and Children Risk of Abuse and Maltreatment Tool (ACRAM; Navarro-Pérez et al., 2023) is an original index/indicator instrument developed to detect and assess the risk of maltreatment in children and adolescents. Its primary purpose is to aid professional decision-making during risk assessments of child maltreatment. The development of the ACRAM is grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) ecological model, incorporating findings from a systematic search for instruments that identify both risk and protective factors.

Initially, a comprehensive set of 201 indicators was established, organized into subject-specific blocks, which were then grouped into two larger sections. A pre-diagnosis study further refined this set to 111 indicators of risk and protection across 22 blocks. Content validity assessments showed that the majority of these indicators surpassed the proposed range. The final version of the ACRAM, validated with two samples of professionals from Spain, consists of 99 indicators divided into 17 conceptual blocks. These blocks are categorized into two main sections: “parental and caregiver factors” and “environment-related and protective factors.” While content validity was evaluated, the psychometric properties, including reliability and other validity aspects, were not reported in the provided text.

Keywords

Adolescent Maltreatment; Child Maltreatment; Protective Factors; Risk Assessment; Risk Detection; Risk Factors

Authors

José-Javier Navarro-Pérez; Paula Samper; Patricia Sancho; Sylvia Georgieva; Ángela Carbonell; Maria-Vicenta Mestre

Author ORCID Identifier

No data is Available

Affiliation

• Navarro-Pérez, José-Javier: University of Valencia, Department of Social Work and Social Services

• Samper, Paula: University of Valencia, Department of Basic Psychology

• Sancho, Patricia: University of Valencia, Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology

• Georgieva, Sylvia: University of Valencia, Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology

• Carbonell, Ángela: University of Valencia, Department of Social Work and Social Services

• Mestre, Maria-Vicenta: University of Valencia, Department of Basic Psychology

Email

Sylvia Georgieva: [email protected]

files

No file is available

Purpose

The ACRAM was developed to aid professional decision-making when carrying out risk assessments of child maltreatment.

Validity

Content Validity

Content validity was evaluated using content validity indexes (CVI) based on the “Relevance” variable. In the final stage of development, a total of 91 out of the 111 initial indicators exceeded the proposed acceptable range for CVI, with only 20 indicators failing to obtain an acceptable CVI. This indicates a strong level of agreement among experts regarding the relevance of most indicators.

Reliability

No reliability is indicated.

Factor Analysis

No factor analysis is indicated.

Instrument: Adolescents and Children Risk of Abuse and Maltreatment Tool (ACRAM)

Test Type

Original

Format

Index/Indicator

Language Available

English; Spanish

Population Group

Human; Male; Female

Age Group

Adulthood (18 yrs & older)

Population Details

• Location: Spain

• Respondents: Educators; Social Workers

Test Methodology

The development of the ACRAM involved an iterative process including a systematic search of existing instruments, establishment of initial indicators, a pre-diagnosis study, and content validity assessments with professional samples. The primary methodology reported is Test Validity, specifically Content Validity.

Authors Including Contact Information

• Navarro-Pérez, José-Javier: University of Valencia, Department of Social Work and Social Services

• Samper, Paula: University of Valencia, Department of Basic Psychology

• Sancho, Patricia: University of Valencia, Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology

• Georgieva, Sylvia: University of Valencia, Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology

  • Email: [email protected]

  • Correspondence Address: University of Valencia, Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Av de Blasco Ibañez, 21, València, Spain

• Carbonell, Ángela: University of Valencia, Department of Social Work and Social Services

• Mestre, Maria-Vicenta: University of Valencia, Department of Basic Psychology

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Permissions

Contact Corresponding Author (Sylvia Georgieva).

Fee

No

Commercial Use

No

Test Year

2023

References

Navarro-Pérez, J.-J., Samper, P., Sancho, P., Georgieva, S., Carbonell, Á., & Mestre, M.-V. (2023). Development and content validation of a comprehensive tool for assessing risk and protective factors in children and adolescents: The ACRAM. Children and Youth Services Review, 145, 1–10. doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2022.106761

Items of the Adolescents and Children Risk of Abuse and Maltreatment Tool (ACRAM)

The ACRAM consists of 99 indicators, organized into 17 conceptual blocks, which are grouped into two larger sections.

Factors and Subscales

Sections:

1. Parental and Caregivers:

   • Parental variables

   • Neglect of physical needs

   • Neglect of safety needs

   • Neglect of educational needs

   • Neglect of mental needs

   • Physical maltreatment

   • Emotional maltreatment

   • Instrumentalization and abandonment

   • Sexual abuse

   • Prenatal maltreatment/risk

   • Labor exploitation and begging

   • Parental inability to control the child/adolescent’s behavior

2. Environment-Related and Protective Factors:

   • Unaccompanied foreign children and adolescents

   • Community factors (including socioeconomic and family setting, school, techno-political intervention, administrations, health, and institutional maltreatment)

   • Protective factors