Adequate evaluation of divorce-related child sexual abuse allegations.
A. P. Derdeyn, A. Poehailos and E. Seigle,
Bull. Amer. Acad. Psychiatry & the Law
22(2): 279-87, 1994.
The accepted child protective service model for evaluation of sexual abuse is inadequate for
divorce-related cases involving young children. Three cases illustrate that lack of contact with the
alleged offender and lack of pursuit of alternative explanations for phenomena presented as
indicative of sexual abuse predispose to "finding" abuse. It is suggested that such agencies engage
experienced child and family clinicians to help with these cases.