MODERN WITCH HUNT—CHILD ABUSE CHARGES

Abstract

The 1974 act—sometimes known as the Mondale Act, after one of its sponsors—was implemented to fight a genuine problem. Up to that year, child abuse was rarely reported and frequently covered up. It was Congress's intent to rectify this deplorable situation by providing incentives for states to set up programs for child abuse research, identification, prosecution and treatment. Federal funding was made available to match state spending, and this served as an incentive for states to create such programs. The law, however, has had results that its authors did not intend. In America today, child sex-abuse accusations are burgeoning. In many cases, it is probable that the charges are valid. But when the charges arise from vicious child custody disputes, where the vengeance element and the opportunity for exclusion of a hated spouse is operative, or in venues such as day-care centers, where the potential pedophile has little opportunity for contact with the child alone, the prevalence of child abuse is in reality quite low. The Child Abuse Establishment Nevertheless, the number of charges in these areas escalate. The primary reason: The Mondale Act has strengthened the "child abuse establishment"—a network of social workers, psychiatrists, psychologists and law enforcement officials—that through its very existence frequently validates an individual's charges. In other words, this establishment, unintentionally or intentionally, encourages charges of child abuse whether they are reasonable or not.