Children exposed to violence: measurement considerations within an ecological framework

The authors argue that children who are exposed to violence constitute a vulnerable and understudied population. Assessment of these children, whether for purposes of research or practice, should meet certain criteria that may not be satisfied with technology presently available to practitioners and researchers. This article presents a number of principles that can improve the precision and utility of practitioner and researcher evaluations and assessments, as well as the instruments that they develop for these purposes.