Doing justice and doing good: conflicts for mental health professionals

The primary role of mental health professionals in cases of child abuse should be to treat the victims and the offenders. Currently, however, mental health professionals are often involved in the investigation and adjudication of child sexual abuse claims. This article discusses the conceptual and practical conflicts this involvement creates with the mental health professional's therapeutic role. The author concludes that mental health professionals should not be involved in investigating child sexual abuse cases. Furthermore, he contends that mental health testimony about the victim should never be allowed during the adjudication stage and that mental health testimony about the defendant should be allowed only if the defendant puts his character into question. The scientific knowledge base for such testimony is very limited, and the testimony is likely to be more misleading and prejudicial than helpful. Mental health professionals, however, could appropriately help children and adults prepare for legal proceedings and facilitate mediation.