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How Often Do Children Lie About Being Sexually Abused?

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Forensic Interviews Regarding Child Sexual Abuse

Abstract

The question of the child’s veracity regarding sexual abuse can arise in several contexts. Parents can wonder about their children’s allegations or lack thereof (e.g., given other children’s allegations or worrying signs such as genital rashes). Law enforcement facing decisions about arrest and prosecution also can want to understand this question. Forensic interviewers can be concerned about either about the child’s allegations or lack of allegations. Child protective services facing decisions about removal of children and the safety of children can also wonder about the answer to this question.

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Correspondence to William T. O’Donohue Ph.D. .

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O’Donohue, W.T., Cirlugea, O. (2016). How Often Do Children Lie About Being Sexually Abused?. In: O'Donohue, W., Fanetti, M. (eds) Forensic Interviews Regarding Child Sexual Abuse. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-21097-1_15

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