NCJ Number
162956
Journal
Advocate Volume: 17 Issue: 3 Dated: (June 1995) Pages: 12-19
Date Published
1995
Length
8 pages
Annotation
A physician discusses the characteristics of parents who promulgate false accusations of child sexual abuse in the context of disputes about child custody and explains criteria to use in distinguishing between accurate and false accusations.
Abstract
Parents may promulgate false accusations themselves or indirectly, through their children. Although these parents fit no specific personality pattern, 30 indicators may prove useful for examiners attempting to determine whether the accusation is true or false. Among these are a childhood history of having been sexually abused, a history of poor impulse control, exposure of the child to educational material about child sexual abuse, moralism, the use of exclusionary maneuvers, the presence of a parental alienation syndrome, and the timing of the accusation. Other indicators include direct programming of the child, exaggeration of the first allegation, failure to notify the father before reporting the alleged abuse to outside authorities, enlistment of the services of an attorney or mental health professional, history of attempts to humiliate or wreak vengeance on the accused, and exaggeration of medical findings related to the abuse. These and the other criteria are meaningful only when the accused person, the alleged child victim, and the accuser are all evaluated. Reference notes