NCJ Number
162943
Date Published
1993
Length
143 pages
Annotation
Directed to polygraph professionals, this volume is intended to be a practical guide to polygraph testing of child sexual abusers and a reference manual regarding the strengths and weaknesses of this approach.
Abstract
The text describes the development of polygraphs; the opinions of judges, probation officers, and sex therapists regarding their use; the various types of abusers and their unique personalities and motivations; and the demographic and personality characteristics of victims. Three types of polygraph testing in connection with child sexual abuse are discussed: (1) specific testing of alleged offenders; (2) disclosure testing, which requires as much as 4 hours on a difficult individual; and (3) periodic tests, for which questions are easily formulated and the examination is administered more quickly than for a disclosure test. The manual also explains the interrogation of the sexual abuser, the development of a sex offender testing program, and the use of the penile plethysmograph. Forms, chapter reference lists, glossary, and appended forms