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Has This Child Been Sexually Abused? Dilemmas for the Mental Health Professional Who Seeks the Answer

NCJ Number
135843
Journal
Criminal Justice and Behavior Volume: 19 Issue: 1 Dated: (March 1992) Pages: 54-73
Author(s)
J R Conte
Date Published
1992
Length
19 pages
Annotation
Efforts to determine if a child has been sexually abused are increasingly becoming a part of mental health practice, but many aspects of forensic mental health practice to determine if a child has been sexually abused may run counter to traditional clinical training.
Abstract
Forensic practice requires firm conclusions, whereas few situations in mental health practice permit clear "either/or" distinctions. Thus, in many complex cases a complete response to the evaluation goals or purpose may not be possible. In addition, professionals and the community may differ on value issues such as the length of time a young child should not have contact with an incest offender. Moreover, bias in evaluation has not been systematically examined. Nevertheless, mental health professionals who seek to maintain an objective stance can take several steps using White's framework as a useful source. 35 references (Author abstract modified)