NCJ Number
108963
Journal
Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume: 2 Issue: 1 Dated: (March 1987) Pages: 91-105
Date Published
1987
Length
15 pages
Annotation
Oversimplified approaches to determining the truth of alleged child sexual abuse in the context of child custody disputes are likely to result in misdiagnosis and failure to protect children who are sexually abused and caught in custody battles.
Abstract
A. H. Green (1986) proposes a diagnostic approach that illustrates the trend toward overly simplistic but as yet unsubstantiated approaches to diagnosing child sexual abuse. Green invokes Freud's controversial theory about the role of sexual fantasy in the etiology of some incest accusations and advises interviewing alleged child victims in the presence of the accused parent. Green makes various predictions regaring how a child's behavior during this interview differentiates true from false allegations of sexual abuse. Green offers only his personal clinical impressions to substantiate his recommendations. There is not sufficient empirical evidence to substantiate generalizations. Decisions regarding whether or not child sexual abuse has occurred should not be based on inadequate data. Unsubstantiated allegations are not necessarily false allegations. This article critiques the major diagnostic guidelines proposed by Green and concludes there is an urgent need for systematic research that can better equip clinicians to distinguish between true and false allegations of child sexual abuse. Meanwhile, studies have shown that child sexual abuse allegations are to be taken seriously in the context of custody proceedings, since substantiated cases of such abuse are relatively frequent in this context. 30 references.