NCJ Number
217428
Journal
Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Volume: 46 Issue: 2 Dated: February 2007 Pages: 162-170
Date Published
February 2007
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This study examined the prevalence and predictors of the recantation of disclosures of sexual abuse among 2- to 17-year-old alleged victims in 257 cases that resulted in a dependency court filing.
Abstract
For these cases, a 23.1-percent recantation rate was found. Abuse victims who were vulnerable to the influence of adult family members were more likely to recant. These children were likely to be younger, abused by a parent, and without support from the nonoffending caregiver. There was no support for the alternative hypothesis that the recantations involved false allegations of sexual abuse. Given the potential for recantation among child sexual abuse victims, it is important that early disclosure be thoroughly documented by audiotaping or videotaping. Interviewers should also inquire about whether the child experienced pressures to keep the abuse a secret or recant the disclosure. Intervention research indicates that caregiver support for the child's disclosure can be increased through instruction to the caregiver on appropriate responses and by involving caregivers in children's therapy. Future research should examine the use of these various techniques for preventing recantations in actual child abuse interviews. The case files (n=257) were randomly selected from all substantiated cases that resulted in a dependency court filing in a large urban county between 1999 and 2000. Denial of sexual abuse after an initial disclosure was scored across formal and informal interviews. Cases were also coded for characteristics of the child, family, and abuse. 1 table and 45 references