Evidence Commons^™

Coohey’s paper is a valuable investigation of the substantiation of mothers for failure to protect their children from child sexual abuse (CSA). Drawing on concerns regarding the possible inconsistency of decisions to substantiate, the author sought to determine the factors relied on by CPS investigators in the decision-making process. Multivariate analyses revealed the importance of maternal reactions to abuse, including whether the mother believed the child’s allegations and whether she acted in a protective or supportive manner. We will put Coohey’s findings in the context of other research that has documented the importance of nonoffending caregivers’ reactions to sexual abuse. …