Statement Regarding Domestic Violence and Sexual Abuse within the context of Forensic Assessment and Other Court Ordered Interventions Such as Parent Coordination, Therapeutic Visitation, and Case Management.
Raymond J. Havlicek, PhD
Psychologist
Allegations of domestic violence, emotional abuse and child sexual abuse are all too frequent aspects of high conflict family crises. Court appointed forensic evaluators and other mental health intervention specialists should carefully evaluate such allegations once they have discharged their responsibility under applicable state law (as mandated reporters) to report suspected child abuse to the appropriate state authority.
The assessment of alleged domestic violence and child sexual abuse must be approached through a careful and comprehensive assessment of all relevant case information. Sensitive, professional interviewing approaches must be used with several contacts, in order to as accurately as possible discern the stated experiences of possible child victims of abuse and child witnesses of domestic violence. While in my experience many allegations of sexual abuse in the context of high conflict disputed matrimonial cases turn out to be without merit, some are indicated.
The Abel Assessment for Sexual Interest Click here for Abel Assessment Web Site is a scientifically reliable and valid system for determining deviant sexual interest in parents accused of sexually abusing their child. Parents whose Abel Assessment results indicate deviant (pedophilic) sexual interests may be further evaluated with the use of a polygraph examination. The combined use of both techniques with a careful and comprehensive assessment of all relevant case information can produce a meaningful indication of the probability that sexual abuse took place.
When present, domestic violence, emotional abuse and sexual abuse are such damaging family trauma, they must be carefully assessed by experienced mental health professionals in order to ensure appropriate intervention and case recommendations. When allegations of domestic violence, emotional abuse or sexual abuse turn out to be false, evaluators should carefully assess the motives for making such false claims and the possible impact false claims may have upon relationships between parents and their children.