Tool Kits for Professionals:​​​
These forms are a comprehensive assessment for domestic violence cases. The forms could be utilized by patrol officers or criminal investigators. The forms include assessments for physical abuse, strangulation, power and control elements, lethality concerns, stalking concerns, and a brief risk assessment for the potential of child abuse. The PDF document can serve as supplemental information for a case file and is easy enough to use, that it requires no additional training. However, the NCACIA still recommends the use of these forms along with our Domestic Assault Response Training course.​
These forms are a comprehensive assessment intended to guide professionals in identifying home environments and caregivers who are a significant risk of physically abusing their children, or who have already very likely physically abused their children. These risk assessments are in-depth and focused on a variety of sociological and psychological factors. The NCACIA recommends that these risk assessment forms be used by qualified professionals, ideally who have completed coursework through the NCACIA, or as a supplement to other qualified expert opinions.
These forms are intended to aid child crimes professionals in quickly assessing for the risk that a child is being subjected to, or has been subjected to "child torture". These forms are easy to use and require no additional training to immediately implement. However, the NCACIA suggests that professionals complete coursework with the NCACIA on the use of such assessments and understand how to properly leverage this information in conjunction with other qualified expert opinions.
These forms are a comprehensive approach to assessing allegations and risk factors for child sexual abuse. They contain information about a wide variety of behaviors, broken down by age-groups, to allow child abuse professionals to be able to properly assess the dynamics in a child sexual abuse investigation. These forms contain information that can be considered fairly complicated principals for professionals who have not received the adequate training from the NCACIA in how to understand these dynamics and implement the use of these forms. These should be used only by trained professionals.
These forms provide a comprehensive approach to examining personality disorder traits and behaviors. Disorders commonly linked to abusive conduct are listed within this assessment, organized first by general traits and then by gender-specific patterns. The NCACIA supports the use of such tools to help professionals “cast a wide net” for potentially valuable information, while noting that “the map is not the terrain.” Not all traits indicate a disorder, nor are all with disorders abusers. Yet these characteristics appear often in abusers, and careful evaluation by qualified professionals can strengthen investigative findings and assist in informing judicial decision-making.​
In child protection, the first steps in an abuse or neglect investigation are crucial, especially when a child first discloses possible abuse. The Minimal Facts Interview (MFI) is central to this stage. Widely used and legally recognized, the MFI helps guide early responses to abuse allegations. Its purpose is to gather only enough detail to determine if a formal forensic interview is needed, avoiding deep or leading questions. It focuses on basic “who, what, when, and where” elements, leaving “how” and “why” to trained interviewers. This careful scope protects reliability, minimizes harm, and prevents contamination of the child’s account.​
The Abdominal Trauma Questionnaire is a specialized resource for detectives, prosecutors, and child protection workers at the outset of serious physical abuse investigations, often in hospital settings. It provides a structured method for gathering essential details about an incident. Effective use requires NCACIA training on physical abuse investigations, ensuring professionals have the expertise to interpret responses and manage these sensitive cases appropriately. This training equips them with the skills to apply the tool with accuracy and care. The tool's structured method strengthens investigations and supports accurate assessments of abdominal trauma in child abuse contexts.​
The AHT Questionnaire is a critical resource for detectives, prosecutors, and child protection workers during the early stages of investigating severe abusive head injuries, often in hospital settings. It offers a structured process for systematically gathering key case details. Use is recommended only after completing NCACIA training (CPAC), which equips professionals to interpret findings accurately and manage these sensitive situations effectively. This preparation promotes thorough, informed investigations, enabling accurate assessments and appropriate handling of abusive head trauma cases while ensuring both investigative integrity and victim protection.​
The Bone Injury Questionnaire is an important tool for detectives, prosecutors, and child protection workers during the early stages of serious physical abuse investigations involving bone injuries, often in hospital settings. It provides a structured method for gathering essential case information. Use is advised only by those who have completed NCACIA’s specialized training in physical abuse investigations. This training equips professionals to accurately interpret responses and manage these sensitive cases with skill and care. Applying this tool with proper expertise supports thorough, effective investigations and ensures accurate assessments within the context of child abuse cases.​
The Bruise Injury Questionnaire is a valuable tool for detectives, prosecutors, and child protection workers during the early stages of serious physical abuse investigations, particularly those involving bruising, often in hospital settings. It offers a structured framework for collecting essential case information, supporting deeper analysis of the incident. Use is recommended only for professionals who have completed NCACIA’s specialized training (CPAC). This training prepares them to interpret findings accurately and handle the sensitive nature of such cases with expertise, ensuring a more thorough and precise investigative process that protects both evidence integrity and victim welfare.
The Burn Injury Questionnaire is an important tool for detectives, prosecutors, and child protection workers during the early stages of serious physical abuse investigations involving burn injuries, often in hospital settings. It provides a structured approach for systematically gathering critical details to understand and evaluate the injury’s context and severity. Its use is advised only for those who have completed NCACIA’s specialized physical abuse investigation training. This ensures professionals can interpret responses accurately and manage these sensitive cases effectively, preserving investigative integrity and enabling more accurate assessments and decisions in burn injury cases.​
The Abusive Head Trauma Fact Sheet is a key resource for detectives, prosecutors, and child protection workers in the early stages of serious physical abuse investigations involving abusive head trauma, often in hospital settings. It offers essential information and guidelines to help professionals understand the nature, implications, and investigative approaches for these cases. Use is recommended only for those who have completed NCACIA’s specialized physical abuse investigation training. This ensures they have the skills and knowledge to interpret and apply the fact sheet effectively, enabling a thorough, informed approach to these sensitive, complex investigations.​
The Non-Abusive Head Trauma (Other Serious Injury) Fact Sheet is a specialized tool for detectives, prosecutors, and child protection workers during the early stages of investigating serious physical injuries not caused by abuse, often in hospital settings. It provides guidance and procedures for distinguishing such injuries from those linked to abuse, a critical step in accurate investigations. Use is advised only for professionals who have completed NCACIA’s physical abuse investigation training, ensuring they have the expertise to apply the fact sheet effectively, interpret findings accurately, and make informed decisions in these complex, sensitive cases.​​
The Negative Parenting Guide for Investigators is a key resource for law enforcement to quickly identify common traits in legitimate cases of negative parenting, including parental alienation, sabotage, estrangement, restrictive gatekeeping, protective parenting, and counterproductive parenting. It offers a concise overview of behaviors and indicators tied to these harmful patterns, helping investigators make rapid, informed assessments in early case stages. The guide is a practical tool for officers, detectives, and others in family law or child welfare, ensuring swift, effective responses. NCACIA training is strongly recommended to fully understand its use.
The Comprehensive Assessment Tool for Munchausen-by-Proxy (FDIA or Medical Child Abuse) is an essential resource for investigators evaluating cases of fabricated or induced illness in children. It provides a detailed framework for recognizing indicators, behaviors, and patterns linked to this form of abuse, enabling thorough and accurate assessments. The tool supports law enforcement, child protective services, and medical professionals in responding effectively to protect vulnerable children. NCACIA training is strongly recommended to ensure users understand its application fully and can enhance investigative skills and comprehensiveness in addressing the complexities of Munchausen-by-Proxy cases.​
The CRAT is a specialized statement analysis tool designed to help assess victim statements for indicators of truthful reporting and real-life experiences. It assists investigators in evaluating the accuracy of a statement and identifying possible signs of memory contamination or suggestibility. This tool is intended to enhance the investigator’s ability to determine credibility within sensitive cases. However, it is critical that the CRAT be applied with proper understanding and context. The NCACIA strongly recommends investigators complete our specialized training on these topics before using the tool to ensure its correct application in high-stakes and complex investigations.
The CSET is a specialized statement analysis tool used to evaluate the statements of alleged offenders for linguistic and behavioral elements commonly found in legitimately guilty individuals involved in violent, sexual, or exploitative crimes against adults and children. It applies a multifactorial approach, combining statement and behavioral analysis, and is among the most reliable and efficient tools available for identifying signs of guilt. However, proper application requires a full understanding of its context and limitations. The NCACIA strongly advises investigators to complete our specialized training on these methods before use to ensure accurate, ethical, and effective implementation in critical investigations.