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A System Out of Control; The Epidemic of False Allegations of Child Abuse

Number 12222
Subject Children
Source Penthouse Magazine
State None
Year None
Publication Date unknown - 1993/1994
Summary Penthouse Magazine reports that "Before 1973, child abuse - particularly sexual abuse - was rarely reported to authorities and frequently covered up. But that year, then senator Walter Mondale sponsored legislation that took a new approach. Federal matching funds became available to states that set up child-abuse detection, prosecution, and prevention programs. The results were startling. From 1976 to 1993, the total yearly number of child-abuse reports grew from 669,000 to more than 2.9 million.... there have been some disturbing side effects... by 1993, the percentage of unsubstantiated reports had reached 66 percent. And in divorce cases, many experts estimate that between 75 and 80 percent of allegations of child abuse are completely false..."
Category General
Pages 7
Keywords custody;battles;the Mondale Act;suspicions;violence;investigations;therapists;Child Protective Services;CPS;child abuse
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