More Controversies Surrounding Childhood Sexual Abuse
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Intense controversies have broken out over the real extent of sexual abuse during childhood. One area of contention surrounds charges of parent–child incest, especially allegations of father–daughter (and stepfather–daughter) sexual contacts. These accusa- tions usually arise during divorce proceedings or shortly afterward. In addition, molestation charges sometimes are leveled by children against their par- ents or other trusted adults many years later when repressed memories surface.
Accusations Made During Divorce Proceedings and Custody Battles When allegations of sexual abuse surface in the midst of a divorce and a tug- of-war over a child, two camps quickly emerge. One side argues that since there are no outsiders who witness violations of the incest taboo within the home, these family secrets usually are not exposed unless the parents break up. This view can be considered a variation of the maximalist per- spective because it assumes that many forbidden relationships imposed on youngsters are covered up unless and until the husband and wife separate.
The other side, embodying minimalist skepti- cism, contends that baseless allegations are being taken too seriously by the authorities and the result- ing investigations ruin the lives of innocent parents, usually fathers. In the mid-1980s, an organization was formed to provide support to adults who insisted that they had been falsely accused. They nicknamed their predicament the SAID syndrome: sexual
allegations in divorce. Their contention was that in most of these cases, a spiteful mother pressured her daughter to echo a fictitious story about molestations by the father that never occurred. Spreading this vicious lie was a wife’s vindictive ploy to discredit her former husband so that the judge in family court (usually an elected official) would issue an order to prevent the girl’s father from having further contact with her as she grew up (Fahn, 1991; Sheridan, 1994; and Cantor, 2011).
Data cannot easily resolve this maximalist– minimalist debate. Charges are deemed unsubstan- tiated in these civil proceedings if the bulk of the evidence is insufficient to confirm that the girl was sexually molested by the defendant. The investiga- tors for the child protection agency who interview the girl and her parents in order to evaluate the family dynamics and home environment often feel a need to resolve the matter quickly and minimize the strain on all three parties. Many jurisdictions are too overburdened by huge caseloads to carry out a thorough investigation. Some caseworkers lack the assessment skills and interviewing techniques neces- sary to elicit crucial testimony. Faced with a father who vehemently denies everything, an intimidated and confused child torn by divided loyalties, and a lack of corroboration by eyewitnesses, the investi- gators may have little choice but to conclude that it was unlikely that abuse occurred. However, their verdict might be attributed more to the constraints of time, money, and training than to the merits of the case. An unproven charge is not necessarily untrue (Fahn, 1991).