Book Review: Child Sex Abuse

Book Review

Child Sexual Abuse: Disclosure, Delay, and Denial,
edited by Michael Lamb, Margaret-Ellen Pipe, Yael Orbach, Ann-Christin Cederborg
(2007).

In the foreword, Gail Goodman and Tina Goodman Brown call this book a breakthrough. It attempts to shed light on the issue of disclosure, possibly the first time that the issue has been examined in detail. Studying disclosure from a scientific perspective is no easy task because, among other reasons, emotions can get in the way. There has been a lack of high quality research in this area. "How to obtain accurate and complete statements from children while limiting false reports is central to controversies surrounding disclosure".

The stakes are high. Failing to recognise abuse can result in a child being put at risk of further abuse. But a false accusation can be devastating for an accused, as well as for the children, who "may come to believe they were abuse victims when they were not, or they may have to live with the guilt of sending an innocent person to jail".

There is ongoing debate about how to help reluctant victims disclose and how often victims recant. There is also debate about how often leading questions result in false disclosures. This book sheds light on these questions.