Unchallenged and Unchecked: How CAPs Influence Life‑Changing Decisions

 

Bioethics & Structural Analysis

  • “Our System for Reporting Child Abuse Is Unethical” (Hastings Center, Sept 2023): An essay by Anne Zimmerman framing mandatory reporting and CAP influence as ethically fraught. Critiques include racial bias, immunity protections, and limited oversight over CAP diagnostics. Urges elimination of CAP subspecialty or stronger requirements for disclosure and independent review. The Hastings Center for Bioethics

Academic Reviews & Commentary

  • “Commentary: The Legal System Response to Child Maltreatment” (Child Maltreatment, August 2023): A journal special‑issue overview that critically evaluates how criminal justice and child welfare systems rely on expert testimony in prosecution and family court proceedings. Axios+2pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+2experts.illinois.edu+2

  • “Statistical Issues in the Diagnosis of Shaken Baby Syndrome/Abusive Head Trauma” (Maria Cuellar, Dec 2024): Analyzes the scientific fragility behind SBS/AHT diagnoses, warning against circular reasoning and urging physicians to limit conclusions to observed signs rather than legal determinations. arxiv.org+1ProPublica+1

  • “The Emergence of Child Abuse Pediatricians in the Misdiagnosis of Child Abuse” (Cauthor & Owen, 2020): Discusses CAPs’ training, the role of state funding, and systemic tendencies for law enforcement and prosecutors to accept CAP conclusions without challenge—contributing to misdiagnosis and ethical concerns. Axios+2Cauthorn Owen & Sanders+2Pediatrics Publications+2