Child abuse does exist, but in no where near the number contended by litigants in divorce cases. By filling the air with spurious charges in an attempt to secure a favorable position relative to the other spouse, these parents are distracting attention from and sometimes obscuring actual cases of abuse. Actual physical abuse is difficult to conceal. There are marks, bruises, and scrapes. They are visible to teachers, neighbors, and anyone who cares to notice.
Sexual abuse is more difficult to document unless it is combined with physical abuse.
Fortunately because of the general contempt society has for pedophiles, sexual abuse is not more common. One school of thought says that all cases of purported abuse should be treated exactly as such. The difficulty with such a system is that abuse charges become a weapon of attack rather than a vehicle to a solution. The actual charge itself can encourage combative behavior. An individual charged with a sexual crime which is impossible to disprove is placed under enormous stress.