Psychological evaluation contributions to sexual abuse situations

The Psychological Evaluation (PE) is considered an sub-area of Psychology that refers to the understanding of personality phenomena and cognitive functions. The objective of the article was to discuss the contributions of Psychological Evaluation to situations of sexual abuse. This concerns the involvement of a child or adolescent in sexual activity for whom they are not prepared due to their level of development. Methodologically, the article is a systematic literature review of a descriptive nature. Previously validated descriptors were used in the Brazilian Decs of the Virtual Health Library (VHL): "Psychological Evaluation AND Sexual Abuse" and we searched for literature in the format of scientific articles published in Portuguese language between 2010-2018 in the CAPES Periodic databases and VHL. The findings were analyzed descriptively from the preparation of a literature review protocol, with peer review. As a result, the initial search yielded 126 articles, of which 9 comprised the final sample and indicated that PE assists in identifying the impact of violence on psychological and psychopathological issues and provides scientifically substantiaied information in order to guide the decision in Brazilian court proceedings. The interview plays a crucial role in these evaluative processes, associated with psychological testing.