title: Clarifying erroneous child sexual abuse allegations.
abstract: A review of several hundred court cases involving child sexual abuse allegations has shown that both children and adults make false reports. Various kinds of false reports are defined, described, and grouped according to type: misunderstandings, misreporting, distortion through illness, distortion by design, professional error, misrepresentation, and a grouping of less common instances.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut Medical School, Farmington.
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Mantell
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005104:Expert Testimony / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006801:Humans; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence