Do sexually abused children commonly recant their allegations of abuse?
Fact: Yes. Between 23 and 80% of sexually abused children recant (deny) previous disclosures of abuse when they experience the serious negative consequences of disclosure, including the breakup of their family.41 21. Is it common for children in child custody disputes to be successfully alienated from one parent by the other parent? Fact: No. The most comprehensive study to date found that although 50% of the parents in that study engaged in behaviors which might have sabotaged the child’s relationship with the other parent (“by telling negative stories and blaming the other parent, modeling hostile, demeaning behavior in the child’s presence, using the child to convey these messages, and responding with anger if the child was inclined to express positive feelings about the other parent”) • despite these problematic behaviors by parents, only about 6% of children were extremely rejecting of the other parent (i.e., expressing “anger, dislike, scorn, denigration and complaints about the