| INFORMATION | RATIONALE | |
| 1. | Past history of physical abuse, neglect, etc. | Potential for problems in parenting |
| 2. | Past history of sexual abuse | Possible propensity to choose a sexual abuser as a partner, difficulties in perceiving risk to her children, propensity to overreact and perceive risk when not present |
| 3. | Current living situation | Other potential victims, availability of social supports, degree of independence of alleged offender, presence or use of weapons in home |
| 4. | Education and employment history | Ability to be independent of the alleged offender, to support self and children |
| 5. | Parenting | Ability to provide for the needs of the child, including nurturance and protection; perception of the victim; evidence of "role reversal" |
| 6. | Discipline | Possible punitive, abusive, or neglectful treatment; possible scapegoating of the victim |
| 7. | Partner relationship | Possible patterns regarding choices of exploitive, abusive, and dominant or dependent partners; ability to see child's needs as more important than partner's or her need for a partner |
| 8. | Sexual history | Possible pattern of being sexually exploited, promiscuous or dysfunctional; reports of sexual behavior by the alleged abuser that might assist in understanding dynamics of sexual abuse |
| 9. | Substance abuse | Obstacle to parenting, index of overall functioning, possible index of ability to function independent of the alleged offender |
| 10. | Mental illness | Index of overall function, index of ability to protect the child, possible problems in reality testing related to abuse allegation and other matters |
| 11. | Mental retardation | Index of overall functioning and ability to parent, to be independent of the offender, and to protect child |
| 12. | Criminal history | Index of overall functioning |
| 13. | Sexual abuse | Beliefs about allegations, blame for sex abuse |