CWEL Child Development and Trauma 2

Question 1

When interviewing a child who may have been sexually abused, which interviewing approach is recommended to minimize contamination of the child's disclosure?

Accepted Answer

Use open-ended, non-leading questions and follow the child's narrative

Answer

Forensic interviews use open-ended, non-leading questions to allow the child to provide their own narrative without suggestion, protecting the integrity of any disclosure for legal purposes.

Question 2

What is 'developmental age' and why is it relevant in child welfare assessments?

Accepted Answer

A child's functional level of development, which may differ from their chronological age due to trauma or neglect

Answer

Developmental age refers to a child's functional level across domains (cognitive, emotional, social, physical), which may lag behind chronological age when children have experienced deprivation or trauma.

Question 3

A teenager in foster care who engages in self-harm behavior such as cutting is most likely doing so because:

Accepted Answer

Self-harm may be a maladaptive coping mechanism to manage overwhelming emotional pain or trauma

Answer

Self-harm is typically a maladaptive coping strategy where individuals use physical pain to manage overwhelming emotions, often rooted in unprocessed trauma and an inability to self-regulate.

Question 4

Which childhood experience is most likely to result in symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)?

Accepted Answer

Chronic exposure to domestic violence, sexual abuse, or severe physical abuse

Answer

Chronic interpersonal trauma such as domestic violence exposure, sexual abuse, or severe physical abuse is among the most potent triggers of PTSD and complex trauma responses in children.

Question 5

What is meant by 'secondary traumatic stress' in the context of child welfare practice?

Accepted Answer

Trauma symptoms experienced by workers as a result of their exposure to clients' traumatic experiences

Answer

Secondary traumatic stress (also called compassion fatigue) refers to trauma symptoms—intrusion, avoidance, hyperarousal—that workers develop through indirect exposure to clients' trauma.

CWEL - Child Welfare Licence Practice Test

CWEL - Child Welfare Licence Practice Test

CWEL Child Development and Trauma 2