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Table 3
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Some Frequent Situational Characteristics of True Molestations and
False Allegations
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Actual Sexual Abuse |
Unreliable/Fictitious Allegations |
| 1. Perpetrator most likely
known to the victim. The
most common pattern of chronic incest is within an intact family, whereas
regressive incidents are possible in separating families. Chronic abuse
sometimes comes to light after a divorce. Extended family members,
neighbors, babysitters, youth group leaders are also common perpetrators,
and rarely are these false allegations. |
1. False accusations frequently occur in context of
separation, divorce, visitation or custody conflicts or disputes whether
or not these have led to formal legal actions/may also include disturbed
adolescents; preschool children or preschool settings. |
| 2. Child more often discloses to a teacher, neighbor,
close friend, parent of a friend, youth leader, boy friend or girl friend,
prior to disclosure to a parent; child may disclose after receiving victim
education, when observing the perpetrator showing interest in younger
siblings, when abused physically, in a moment of anger, when child reaches
an age where he or she is desirous of greater personal freedom,
opportunity to date. The older child is usually trying to escape or modify
some family pressure situation. The abuse may have been tolerated for some
time prior to disclosure. |
2. In intrafamilial false allegations, a parent reports
the abuse. A situation may arise where the adult capitalizes on an
ambiguous statement made by the child, or in some cases has honestly
misinterpreted a statement. Child may make initial vague statement to
deflect parent from some other issue, or to cover up another situation.
Parent attempts to clarify child's statement, and the child balks at
repeating it to the parent, therapist, social worker, or law enforcement.
After some time, she repeats something alleged to have been said earlier to
the parent. After multiple interviews, the allegations evolve.
It is then
too late for the child to back down. Further interviews are positively
reinforcing and shape the allegations toward more aggressive elements. |
| 3. Victim more likely to make a "fresh
complaint" to one or more persons in the immediate environment, if
the abuse has just occurred and is not pant of a chronic pattern. |
3. Alleged victim has probably not made a "fresh
complaint." In the course of litigation, as allegations made in
recent time frames come under increasing scrutiny and review, additional
allegations will defensively emerge that go further and further back in
time, with details becoming increasingly more sparse and more stereotypic.
Either the accusing parent will claim more and more time-distant
allegations, or in case of older children and adolescents, the alleged
victim will be so continuously questioned that such new claims will be
created. |
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