Was There Really Child Sexual Abuse or Is There Another Explanation? (From Assessing Child Maltreatment Reports: The Problem of False Allegations, P 115-127, 1991, Michael Robin, ed.)

• NCJ Number: 140580
• Author(s): K B McGovern
• Date Published: 1991
• Length: 13 pages
• Sale Source: Haworth Press, Inc
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This paper discusses the diagnostic errors that can occur in investigations of child sexual abuse and suggests that, in our haste to protect children from abuse, investigators are forming conclusions before adequate information is available or alternative theories have been considered.

Abstract

Numerous human and unintentional errors can occur during a police investigation, a clinical evaluation, or both. Police and social service agencies do not always have the time, ability, and staff to provide long-term and comprehensive evaluations. In addition, some clinicians, case workers, and police officers have ignored a number of basic fundamental principles regarding child psychology. The same problem of misdiagnosis can occur during medical examinations and mental health evaluations. Medical professionals can be provided with biased stories of distorted perceptions, especially in heated custody cases. A case in which a baby-sitter believed that two children were being sexually abused by a male perpetrator illustrates these problems. Therefore, all professionals should consider whether other explanations exist that are consistent with the symptoms while being inconsistent with allegations of child sexual abuse. Otherwise, superficial and biased evaluations will occur.