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Risky Business: The Unstated Presumptions of Child Sexual Abuse Assessment

NCJ Number
162780
Journal
Journal of Child Sexual Abuse Volume: 4 Issue: 4 Dated: (1995) Pages: 145- 147
Author(s)
M Ells
Date Published
1995
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article argues that Milchman's paper on professional ethics involved in child sexual abuse assessment contains several unstated presumptions that are questionable.
Abstract
The first presumption is the very concept of child sexual abuse assessment; it assumes that mental health professionals are uniquely suited through education, training, and experience to answer the question of whether abuse occurred. However, no diagnostic syndrome exists for child sexual abuse. A proper diagnosis would be based on a multidisicplinary investigation of that includes a history, physical examination, and clinical evaluation. Milchman's second unstated presumption is that protection of confidential communications has a higher value than protection of children. The third unstated presumption is that mental health professionals have an obligation to provide due process of law to the accused person. However, mental health professionals have no judicial responsibility. The final presumption is that children should make legal or mental health decisions for themselves. However, having children make these decisions is inappropriate, risky, and unrealistic. The suggestion that court-appointed evaluations are preferable when the child's best interests are paramount implies that sometimes the child's best interests are not primary. However, when a child has disclosed sexual abuse, the child's best interests are always paramount. Protecting children requires multidisciplinary, collaborative investigations. 1 reference