Evaluating Allegations of Child Sexual Abuse Within Complex Child Custody Cases

Abstract

This article provides a framework for identifying and assembling the interdependent elements of a child custody evaluation with allegations of child sexual abuse. The identification of several myths regarding child sexual abuse (CSA) introduces the subject matter of this article. A forensic evaluation model (Heilbrun, 2001) is then used to organize the custody evaluator's tasks into the following sequential classifications: (a) preparation; (b) data collection; (c) data interpretation; and (d) communication of results. Through this model, the entwined tasks of evaluating the child's needs and the parents' capacities to meet the

A Comprehensive Guide to Child Custody Evaluations: Mental Health and Legal Perspectives

“…5. Kuehnle and Kirkpatrick (2005) point out that current research shows low reporting rates by child victims of sexual abuse. A review of retrospective studies also indicates that 60-70% of adults who claim to have been victims of child sexual abuse do not recall making a disclosure during their childhood, and only 10-18% recall that their cases were reported to the authorities (London et al, 2005).…”

“…Because there are no standardized instruments that are sensitive to child sexual abuse (Kuehnle & Kirkpatrick, 2005), the assessment focuses on child interviews, supplemented by parent interviews and collateral information.…”

“…Several experts in this area have proposed interview protocols that take into account the particular challenges of interviewing child victims of sexual abuse (e.g. Faller, 2003;Kuehnle, 1996;Kuehnle & Kirkpatrick, 2005;Poole & Lamb, 1998;Yuille, Hunter, Joffe, & Zaparniuk, 1993). Many of these general recommendations apply to all child interviews in a forensic setting, and are included in the discussion of child interviews in Chapter 13 of this volume.…”

A Commentary on O’Donohue et al.’s “Analyzing Child Sexual Abuse Allegations”

“…A forensic expert opinion on this point may be highly relevant when the custody of a child is at stake (see Kuehnle & Kirkpatrick, 2005).…”

Playing in Their Sandbox: Professional Obligations of Mental Health Professionals in Custody Cases

“…This is a particular risk when a child has already been exposed to parental conflict, suggestive interviews and=or other events that might have influenced the memory and=or the content of her play (Pezdek & Roe, 1997). Additionally, it would be critical for Dr. Well-Intentioned to explain that there are no reliable data that differentiate the play of abused children from the play of non-abused children (Kuehnle, 2003;Kuehnle & Kirkpatrick, 2005). …”