Factors That Influence Professionals' Perceptions of Behavioral Indicators of Child Sexual Abuse

Abstract

The research examined factors that might influence interviewers' perceptions of convincingness of behavioral indicators of child sexual abuse. As predicted, professionals who believe that children do not lie about sexual abuse were more convinced by various behavioral indicators that sexual abuse occurred than were those professionals who approach children neutrally. For symptoms such as depression, aggression, and fear of the perpetrator, law enforcement professionals were more convinced than were mental health professionals, and women were more convinced than were men, as predicted. Contrary to prediction, there were no effects based on purpose of the interview (investigative vs. therapeutic). In addition, age of the child affected perception of indicators. As predicted, children under age 6 were more convincing than were children ages 6-9 or 10-12 when they demonstrated adult-level knowledge of sexuality. There were no age-of-child effects for symptoms that did not involve children's knowledge of sexuality. The results indicated that interviewer factors and age of the child can influence perceptions of indicators of sexual abuse. Therefore, interviewers should be sensitized to possible sources of bias in their judgments.