Background: Culture clashes often occur when authorities formally intervene in child sexual abuse (CSA) cases in religious communities, which may cause additional harm to the survivors and their families. Objective: The current study is part of a larger project on educators from various cultural groups dealing with CSA. This study aimed to explore the experiences of Jewish ultra-Orthodox educators with mandatory reporting and their perceptions and encounters with formal authorities (e.g., social services) after CSA disclosures in their schools in Israel. Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with 28 ultra-Orthodox educators, which were analyzed using a thematic approach. Results: The findings indicated that ultra-Orthodox educators perceived mandatory reporting and the relations with authorities on a continuum, from beneficial to harmful. Their experiences were impacted by their perceptions of the authorities' professionalism, availability and efficiency, as well as their sensitivity towards the ultra-Orthodox community. Finally, the educators perceived ultra-Orthodox authority figures, such as rabbis, as having an essential role in the intervention after disclosure. Conclusions: The findings emphasized the complexity as well as the ability to bridge the gap between educators, in particular, and the ultra-Orthodox community, in general, with the formal authorities for the purpose of CSA interventions.

(1) Background: Members of the LGBTQ+ community face specific risk factors that make them more vulnerable to multiple forms of sexual abuse and victimization than cisgender heterosexual individuals. Furthermore, numerous personal, intrapersonal, societal, and cultural factors inhibit disclosure, threatening their wellbeing. The purpose of the current study was to explore sexual abuse experiences among survivors from the LGBTQ+ community. (2) Methods: An analysis of sexual abuse disclosure posts published on an Israeli Instagram page called Torenu was conducted. Through the analysis of these posts, this study aimed to better understand the unique characteristics and dynamics of the sexual abuse of survivors from the LGBTQ+ community. Sixty-five posts from members of the LGBTQ+ community disclosing sexual abuse were analyzed using qualitative thematic analysis. (3) Results: Two themes emerged during the analysis. The first theme focused on the characteristics of the survivors and perpetrators. The second theme related to the abuse characteristics, addressing four main aspects: publicness, normalization, numbness of the senses, and escalation. (4) Conclusions: Understanding the nature of sexual abuse within the LGBTQ+ community could encourage society to take responsibility for fostering an inclusive discourse on sexuality, one that acknowledges LGBTQ+ identities, reduces stigma, promotes visibility, and facilitates intervention within the community.

Sibling sexual abuse (SSA) is a complex and underexplored issue with profound impacts on individuals, families, and communities. Current research, although developing, is insufficient and fails to capture the many layers and core aspects of SSA. This commentary highlights insights from seven qualitative studies conducted by the author between 2013 and 2020, based on interviews and focus groups with siblings, parents, and professionals. The findings reveal the need for stronger research-practice relationships, an understanding of the subjective experiences of abuse from child and adult survivors' and parents' perspectives, and the critical role of disclosure. The complexity of implementing interventions and the significant impact on professionals' lives are also emphasized. Addressing SSA requires heightened attention, deeper understanding, and tailored policies. Professionals must navigate the blurred lines between normative and abusive behaviors and recognize the profound impact of this work. Prioritizing comprehensive, multi-layered research and practice is essential to improving the lives of those affected by SSA.

Teachers are at the frontlines of the fight to identify and cope with child sexual abuse (CSA) among their pupils. Their methods of coping with CSA cases, both personally and professionally, are strongly influenced by their socio-cultural contexts and religious beliefs. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the experiences of Christian Arab teachers in Israel coping with the CSA of their pupils. Twelve Christian Arab elementary school teachers in Israel were recruited for the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and a qualitative thematic analysis was employed based on a descriptive phenomenological-psychological approach. Two key themes emerged from the analysis: (a) The teachers' intense emotional reactions regarding the CSA of their students and the empowerment some found in handling such difficult situations, and (b) The teachers' Christian beliefs and identity strongly affected their understanding of CSA and their approach to intervention. The findings indicated the dialectical position of the teachers' religio-cultural context, particularly the duality of the Christian value of forgiveness, a powerful resource for their coping, yet with adverse implications for children's vulnerability. This unique risk should inform training teachers regarding CSA matters. Teachers must also have systems that support them and allow them to reflectively examine their coping styles.

This paper deals with the meaningful relationships between qualitative research and social work. It seeks to explore seven mile-markers through which one can develop the identity of a qualitative social worker. These steps are: listen to the story, become your own teacher, be systematic, remember the context, make a change, find a friend, and take care. Each step is conceptualized and explained using key theories and concepts in social work and qualitative research. They are further exemplified through the examination of the author's experience in both the qualitative and social work fields in the context of child sexual abuse. The article aims to provide social workers and qualitative researchers with tools that will help them improve and empower their professional and research skills, and to clarify and achieve the connection between the two realms.

Objective: Teachers hold significant potential to influence children's coping with child sexual abuse (CSA). Their beliefs and behaviors in this role are largely constructed by their sociocultural contexts, including their status as members of majority or minority groups. The purpose of the present study was to analyze, compare, and describe the experiences and perceptions of Jewish and Arab teachers in Israel coping with CSA in their everyday work. Method: Forty elementary school teachers (20 Arab [12 Muslim and eight Christian] and 20 secular Jewish) were recruited as part of a purposeful sample. Semistructured interviews and qualitative thematic analysis were conducted using a descriptive phenomenological-psychological approach. Results: While there is universality when contending with the CSA of pupils, Arab and Jewish teachers fundamentally differed in their perceptions of their role, responsibility, agency, and efficacy. Two interrelated themes emerged: (a) Perceptions of efficacy and agency when contending with CSA and (b) Perceived roles in cases of CSA ("soloists" vs. "team players"). Conclusions: The discussion highlights the Arab and Jewish teachers' multifaceted, relational constructions of identity within their sociocultural, personal-professional, and sociopolitical contexts, which shaped their divergent understandings of and responses to cases of CSA while maintaining similar values and goals. The findings indicate the need to advance theory and promote interventions that take into account not only sociocultural contexts but also the intersectionality of power and the implications of majority and minority status.

Educational institutions and educators are significant in children’s lives, and they have a crucial role in implementing policies, practices, and sexual education to enhance children’s safety. Such policies and practices should be based on the voices of CSA survivors. This study explored child sexual abuse (CSA) survivors’ viewpoints on their past experiences with educators and the educational system. A qualitative thematic approach was used to analyze 61 written testimonies collected in 2020–2021 by the Israeli Independent Public Inquiry on CSA. Two interrelated themes arose: (1) CSA survivors’ retrospective perspectives of educators and the educational system’s responses to signs of their CSA, described as ranging from abusive to life-saving. Specifically, they shared three types of responses: (a) harmful and hurtful; (b) dismissive and ignoring; and (c) accepting and attending. (2) The second theme described the survivors’ messages to educators to promote constructive change. The survivors conveyed expectations that educators should play a central role in CSA prevention, detection, and intervention and, specifically, the need for educators to receive professional training, provide beneficial sexual education, and identify and respond to CSA. The findings promoted moving beyond individual-level interventions to focus on improving educational institutional and organizational cultures related to CSA in both national and international contexts.

BackgroundChild sexual abuse (CSA) and problematic sexual behavior (PSB) are worldwide phenomena that occur across all ages. Kindergarten teachers' proactive involvement can be crucial to the prevention, disclosure and intervention of CSA and PSB. However, research on their experiences of contending with CSA and PSB remains limited.ObjectiveThis study examines kindergarten teachers' experiences in Israel with the CSA and PSB of their students.Participants and settingSemi-structured interviews were conducted with 31 teachers: 11 secular Jewish, seven religious Jewish, nine Druze Arab, and four Muslim Arab.MethodsA qualitative analysis was conducted using the interview transcripts as data.ResultsThe analysis revealed three themes illustrating teachers' professional transformations regarding their knowledge of these phenomena: 1) initial shock, uncertainty and sense of responsibility when exposed to CSA and PSB due to missing knowledge, 2) implementation of prevention and intervention strategies regarding CSA and PSB, and 3) embracing a social role to disseminate CSA and PSB knowledge. The findings indicated that the majority of the teachers went from overwhelming shock and fear due to a lack of knowledge in coping with CSA and PSB to a sense of responsibility as a community leader.ConclusionsThe fragmentation of the Israeli education system isolates kindergartens, and the lack of training and education for the teachers left them alone when contending with the CSA and PSB of their students. Nevertheless, the participants exhibited remarkable agency and resourcefulness, gaining the necessary knowledge and acting as knowledge agents within their communities.

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Kindergarten teachers are expected to lead the intervention process in cases of child sexual abuse (CSA) in their kindergarten. This study examines the proactive role of Druze and Muslim Arab kindergarten teachers in addressing and coping with the CSA of their kindergarten students in Israel. A qualitative thematic analysis was used to investigate the semi-structured interviews conducted with eight Druze Arab and six Muslim Arab kindergarten teachers. Three distinct themes were revealed. The first theme described the participants' fear and concern for their personal children and themselves when dealing with CSA incidents involving their students. The second and third themes described their proactive coping on two fronts: (1) inside their homes to protect their own children and (2) as educators within religious communities, using professional and religious principles to support CSA survivors and raise awareness among parents. The results emphasized the personal burden on kindergarten teachers coping with CSA in their kindergarten and, as mainly expressed by Druze kindergarten teachers, the contribution of religious values to CSA intervention and prevention processes among their students and communities. Thus, there is a need for comprehensive support that considers ethnic and religious characteristics and will be available to kindergarten teachers facing CSA in their kindergarten.

School counselors play a crucial role in preventing, disclosing, and intervening in child sexual abuse cases (CSA) and in maintaining safe and protected school environments. However, research on their experiences coping with CSA remains limited. The purpose of the present study was to describe and analyze the coping experiences of Israeli Jewish and Arab school counselors with CSA disclosure, particularly the consequences for their processes of professional identity construction (the ongoing process through which they develop and refine their sense of self in their profession). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 Israeli Jewish and Arab school counselors working in elementary schools (grades 1–6) with significant experience in coping with CSA. Two themes surfaced, reflecting the counselors’ professional identity construction: (1) Counselors’ professional identity transformation following encounters with CSA among their students; (2) Integrating professional knowledge, attitudes, and engagement behaviors into professional identity. The findings describe a trajectory of transformation and professional development among the counselors, beginning with defining and refining their professional roles and followed by the integration of professional knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors into their professional routines. Arab counselors also highlighted specific sociocultural challenges within this process, relating to the gap between cultural values and role expectations. Implications for future research, policy, and practice are discussed.

BACKGROUND:Although research on child sexual abuse (CSA) has greatly evolved, studies revealing survivors' conflicting feelings towards their perpetrators and family members are scarce. Professionals' perceptions of love in intrafamilial CSA are often overlooked.OBJECTIVE:The current study examined the perceptions of professionals working on CSA multidisciplinary teams (MDT). The research questions were: (1) How do professionals define love in families with CSA? (2) What are professionals' perceptions of parental love in families with CSA? (3) What are professionals' perceptions of love from the abused child towards their parents and siblings? (4) What are the differences between professionals' perceptions of love and those of the families they serve, and how do professionals deal with these different perceptions during interventions?METHOD:Five focus groups with a total of 34 child advocacy center (CAC) and MDT professionals from two CACs in the US mid-Atlantic region were conducted virtually and analyzed using a thematic approach.RESULTS:The findings indicated that professionals recognized parental love at the center of familial child sexual abuse (FCSA) cases and its range from benevolent and healthy to maladaptive, offensive love. Professionals also recognized the mechanisms enabling children's love for both offending and non-offending parents and complex expressions of love between siblings, even when one sibling sexually abused another.CONCLUSIONS:This study highlights the importance of promoting discourse on love in cases of intrafamilial CSA. Recognizing and embracing the complexity of love bonds may empower the abused child and support their need to believe in their parents' love.

The socio-cultural context is a significant factor in understanding the phenomenon of child sexual abuse (CSA). The kibbutz is a unique form of community in Israel, which was previously a closed community with high cohesion and close personal connections between its members, who shared common beliefs and values. This study aimed to examine the experiences and perspectives of adults who had been sexually abused as children in the kibbutz. Fifteen adults (14 women and one man) sexually abused as children in a kibbutz between the 1960s and 1990s were interviewed for the study. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted and analyzed according to the thematic analysis approach. The findings indicated that participants perceived the kibbutz as an independent and distinct entity in the CSA experience. Furthermore, due to the image of the kibbutz community, the wish to protect its reputation, and the trust and familiarity among the kibbutz community, CSA was denied and silenced. The participants discussed the kibbutz's responsibility for CSA and the hardship of acknowledging that CSA happened at the Kibbutz. This study contributes significantly to the testimony and giving voice to survivors of CSA in kibbutz whose voices have not been heard. Despite the changes that have taken place in the kibbutz over the years, as well as the increased awareness of protection against sexual abuse, there is still room to acknowledge and validate past abuse experiences and apologize to the survivors, as well as risks for CSA that are still prevalent today.

Child sexual abuse (CSA) has received considerable attention from scholars, contributing to policy, intervention, and prevention efforts worldwide. However, survivors' involvement in this research is limited. This study was designed to delve into the messages of adult CSA survivors to abused children. In all, 371 written testimonies were provided to the Israeli Independent Public Inquiry on CSA by survivors from diverse communities in Israel. The Inquiry aimed to promote change in policies related to CSA. The testimonies were analyzed using the qualitative thematic analysis method. The results revealed five main messages emphasized by survivors to children experiencing CSA: (a) transferring the responsibility and guilt from children to perpetrators and society; (b) turning toward the light and continuing on; (c) disclosure is essential; (d) a happy life is possible; and (e) together we can survive. The discussion emphasizes how various systems in survivors' lives have profound impacts following the abuse. Although survivors were from diverse backgrounds, their messages to abused children were consistent. Through their messages to the children, the survivors emphasized their wish to transfer responsibility and guilt from children experiencing abuse to the society that is supposed to see, listen, protect, and validate. Implications for practice are discussed, focusing on the importance of making room for survivors' voices and experiences in the processes of shaping policies in the area of CSA. Moreover, the survivors' desire to be there for the children emphasized the urgent need to promote the perception of survivors as key stakeholders in the field of child abuse and to integrate their experiences and perceptions into the formal and informal systems for children.

BACKGROUND:Despite the extensive research on child sexual abuse and the alarming extent of the phenomenon among peers, certain perspectives are still missing.OBJECTIVE:The current study aimed to explore the subjective experience of adult survivors of peer sexual abuse while in boarding school, which has rarely been explored.PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING:The present study included 15 adults who were sexually abused by their peers while attending boarding school.METHODS:The data were based on semi-structured in-depth interviews focused on the abuse story, disclosure, and the meaning of the boarding school context to the participants. The interviews were analyzed using the qualitative thematic analysis approach.RESULTS:The findings characterized the boarding school as lacking parental figures, lacking rule and regulation enforcement, and staff who were not able to deal effectively with sexual abuse cases. The relationships within the peer group in the boarding school were characterized by intense, although unspoken, intimacy and sexuality. As part of the group's socialization, breaking the rules was encouraged, including in the sexual realm. Furthermore, the boarding school was perceived as a space that maintained conservative patriarchal social structures that encouraged traditional gender perceptions.CONCLUSIONS:The findings of the current study indicated the urgent need to advance both policy and practice in this area, for example, greater involvement of the boarding school staff in the lives of the adolescents and implementation of rules and regulations to create a safer climate for those who choose, or need, to live away from home.