The Professional Concept of Central Child Protection Psychological Aptitude Examinations: The Genesis of the CPATS System

Malét-Szabó, Erika and Somogyi, Zsófia Borbála and Kovács, Péter (2026) The Professional Concept of Central Child Protection Psychological Aptitude Examinations: The Genesis of the CPATS System. BELÜGYI SZEMLE / ACADEMIC JOURNAL OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS: A BELÜGYMINISZTÉRIUM SZAKMAI TUDOMÁNYOS FOLYÓIRATA (2010-), 74 (3). pp. 781-799. ISSN 2062-9494

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Abstract

Aim: The study aims to present the genesis and professional concept of the new Central Psychological Aptitude Testing System (CPATS), introduced on 1 July 2024 for professionals working in child protection. It traces the process from the initial recognition of the need for such examinations to their concrete, legally regulated, and currently universally applied implementation across the child protection sector.Methodology: The article summarizes the relevant legal framework and guides the reader step by step along the theory-informed and practice-based path that led to the conception of the new child protection psychological aptitude testing system. It provides a detailed description of the system’s key elements and defining characteristics.Findings: The new CPATS—aligned with both the existing KLIR aptitude testing system of the internal affairs sector and related international initiatives—integrates the requirements of three fundamental objectives: identifying and filtering risks of child abuse, selecting individuals capable of effectively caring for traumatized children in child protection institutions, and supporting long-term professional commitment through targeted training and development.Value: The study transparently presents the theoretical concept of the new child protection psychological aptitude testing system to the professional community. In doing so, it contributes to a deeper understanding of the psychological aspects of child protection work and underpins the necessity of a preventive and development-oriented approach to psychological aptitude testing.

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