K.L. Billingsley

About the author: K.L. Billingsley is a fellow at the Center for the Study of Popular Culture in Los Angeles.

Concern over child abuse has produced a form of hysteria, and false accusations and unfair prosecutions have become common. In some cases, such as the McMartin preschool case in Los Angeles, the work of manipulative therapists has encouraged young children to invent outrageous tales of satanic abuse. In less highprofile cases, child protective service personnel and civil prosecutors have violated the due process rights of accused parents and have torn families apart on the basis of unsupported suspicions and flimsy evidence.

Child abuse, especially of a sexual nature, has been a high-profile issue in recent years and has now acquired celebrity status. In his internationally publicized row with Mia Farrow, Woody Allen...