Reliability of Professional Judgments in Forensic Child Sexual Abuse Evaluations: Unsettled or Unsettling Science?

• NCJ Number: 239398
• Journal: Journal of Child Sexual Abuse Volume: 21 Issue: 1 Dated: January - February 2012 Pages: 72-90
• Author(s): Mark D. Everson; Jose Miguel Sandoval; Nancy Berson; Mary Crowson; Harriet Robinson
• Date Published: February 2012
• Length: 19 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article discusses professional judgements in forensic assessments of child sexual abuse.

Abstract

In the absence of photographic or DNA evidence, a credible eyewitness, or perpetrator confession, forensic evaluators in cases of alleged child sexual abuse must rely on psychosocial or "soft" evidence, often requiring substantial professional judgment for case determination. This article offers a three-part rebuttal to Herman's (2009) argument that forensic decisions based on psychosocial evidence are fundamentally unreliable and that this conclusion represents settled science. The article also discusses the potentially adverse consequences of Herman's proposed reforms to forensic practice on child protection and prosecution efforts. Published by arrangement with Taylor and Francis.