Abstract
The paper presents two pilot studies that attempt to identify maltreated children in the classroom. The aim of pilot study 1 was to determine whether six British physically abused children performed significantly worse than matched non‐abused children on a battery of tests and rating scales over an 18‐month period. The aim of pilot study 2 was to concurrently identify maltreated children from a classroom of children using standardized tests and observed negative behaviours. The method used in study 1 was a cross‐comparison design with six physically abused and 12 comparison children, all between 4 and 8 years old. They were assessed over 18 months at four time‐points on a battery of standardized tests and rating scales. Study 2 was based on a concurrent prediction of child abuse in a class of 30 children (18 male and 12 female) 10 years old. They were assessed on a battery of standardized assessments and by the direct observation of negative behaviour in order to predict those who were on the child protection register (CPR) for actual or suspected abuse and those who were not. The results of study 1 showed significant differences on the teacher rating scales and on a measure of sibling dependency. Study 2 used standardized assessments and identified three of five abused children. Direct observations identified one of five abused children. These two preliminary studies suggest standardized assessments are more useful than behavioural observations in identifying abused children in the classroom setting. Further confirmation is required using larger‐scale investigations. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.