ABSTRACT
When evaluating a parent who is alleged to have sexually molested one of his or her children, there are certain principles that guide the structure and interpretation of the evaluation. The first is that there may be primary gain by the parent who is alleging that the other parent is a sex offender. The term “sex offender” raises everyone’s level of emotionality and moral concern, and in turn, the decisions that affect the alleged offender’s liberty and access to his or her children. Therefore, the evaluator must begin and complete the evaluation with an objective frame of mind, without allowing his or her own emotionality or moral concern to rise and influence the evaluation or its outcome. The second principle is that females rarely sexually abuse children, and when they do, it is generally as a partner to an abusing male. This is not a hard and fast rule, however. There is so little research on female sexual offenders that an evaluator is left without a sound scientific methodology upon which to base the evaluation and conclusion. The third principle is that in the absence of a conviction for or admission of sexual abuse, there is no list of criteria that can prove whether the allegation is true or not. Even an assessment of the validity of a child’s statement of sexual abuse does not prove the abuse; it takes a court of law to do that. The third principle is very important, because evaluators will find themselves in the position of hearing lists of accusations against the alleged offender, covering his sexual behavior with his wife or girlfriend(s), use of the Internet or telephone for sexual gratification, his sleeping patterns, and potentially many other areas of his life.
