THE INTERVENTION STRESSORS INVENTORY - A MEASURE OF THE STRESS OF INTERVENTION FOR SEXUALLY ABUSED-CHILDREN

This paper describes the development and initial validation of the Int ervention Stressors Inventory (ISI), a new scale designed to measure t he level of stress sexually abused children experience as a result of societal intervention. Estimates of the relative stress level of vario us interventions were obtained from 98 professionals; a police intervi ew was the designated anchor with a score of 50 points. Resulting scor es from the survey included 35 points for social worker interview, 100 points for placement in foster care, and 111 points for testimony in criminal court. Factors that could potentially modify the stress of an y given event were also considered. Interviews with 254 sexually abuse d children and their parents, 9 months after their cases were reported , provided an opportunity to examine the validity of the instrument. W eighted scores for each child were generated based on their experience s. Validity was supported by higher scores for older children, varying patterns of scores in different jurisdictions and a decline in scores over the one-year period in which jurisdictions were actively seeking to reduce the intrusiveness of intervention. Early results suggest th at the ISI is useful as a research tool and as a guide in our efforts to reduce the trauma of intervention.