Child Custody Litigation: Allegations of Child Sexual Abuse

by Kathryn Kuehenie, D.H. Deacon

Overview

Learn what to do when allegations of child sexual abuse become part of the child custody process

Child Custody Litigation: Allegations of Child Sexual Abuse is an invaluable resource for forensic mental health professionals involved with conducting custody evaluations in family court proceedings. Each of the book’s five chapters reviews an important component of the evaluation process when allegations of child sexual abuse have been made, moving beyond the description of each parent’s psychological functioning and parenting capacity, the identity and needs of the child, and the parent’s ability to meet those needs. The book’s contributors examine the organizational structure of a child custody evaluation, the meanings of sexual behaviors demonstrated by children, descriptions of sex offenders assessment instruments, the usefulness of Rorschach examinations, and observations from presiding judges.

Child Custody Litigation: Allegations of Child Sexual Abuse is one of the few resources to tackle this difficult forensic area. This unique book examines the myths concerning the occurrence of child sexual abuse (CSA) and victim characteristics, the basic principles of a sex offender evaluation, and the ways evaluators craft their evaluations and testimony to assist the Court. Contributors also look at the relationship of sexual behavior to sexual abuse, domestic violence, physical abuse, family sexuality, behavior problems, reporter characteristics, and age and gender of the child.

Topics covered in Child Custody Litigation: Allegations of Child Sexual Abuse include:

• macro-interview structures for the child interview
• psychological evaluation and testimony
• the Court’s expectations within the order for evaluation
• a model order for custody evaluations
• exploring CSA statistics
• a forensic evaluation model
• data collection, interpretation, and communication of results
• and much more

Child Custody Litigation: Allegations of Child Sexual Abuse is essential as a professional aid in conducting and analyzing child custody evaluations in family court proceedings.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780789031334
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	09/15/2006
Series:	Published Simultaneously As the Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, Vol. 12, Nos. 2/3 Series
Edition description:	ANN
Pages:	180
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.38(h) x (d)

About the Author

Kathryn Kuehenie, D.H. Deacon

Table of Contents

Preface: Investigating Allegations of Child Sexual Abuse: Shortcuts Not Welcome (D. A. Martindale)

Introduction (Kathryn Kuehnle)

Evaluating Allegations of Child Sexual Abuse Within Complex Child Custody Cases (Kathryn Kuehnle and H. D. Kirkpartrick)

Correlates of Sexual Behavior in Young Children (Bill Friedrich)

Complex Child Custody Evaluations: Evaluating the Alleged Incestuous Parent (Susan J. Sachsenmaier)

Rorschach Assessment in Child Custody Cases (Irving B. Weiner)

Child Custody Evaluations in Cases Involving Sexual Abuse: A View from the Bench (The Honorable Debra K. Behnke and Mary Connell)

Index

Reference Notes Included