Description

Assessing child sexual abuse allegations: An exploratory study on psychological reports

MARIA CRISTINA VERROCCHIO, MICHELA CORTINI AND DANIELA MARCHETTI

Department of Psychological, Human and Territorial Sciences, University ‘G. d’Annunzio’ of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti-Pescara, Italy

Abstract

This study examines several psychological reports to verify whether consultant psychologists use scientifically based procedures during clinical assessment of sexually abused children. To address our aims, first we propose a methodological premise on mixed-method approaches and on the methodological appropriateness paradigm. We then provide a content analysis (run using the T-LAB software) of psychological reports produced by a sample of Italian consultant psychologists. Results show a biased use of some word associations that may lead to confirmatory interpretations.

Keywords: psychological report, child sexual abuse, methodological errors, cognitive biases, triangulation of methods, content analysis