Unveiling the shadows: Parental perceptions and familial impact of daycare abuse of preschool children

BACKGROUND

Preschoolers are at an increased risk of experiencing abuse, especially from caregivers. Early child abuse has adverse continuances on children's short and long-term development. The majority of previous studies were conducted in the 1990s in the United States, focusing primarily on sexual abuse. Despite the recently increasing public awareness of daycare abuse (DA), empirical studies on this topic have not yet been conducted in Israel.

OBJECTIVE

The current study was designed to examine parents' perceptions regarding the DA of their preschool children.

METHOD

The data were collected through semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 14 parents of children who underwent DA. Qualitative analysis was performed on the narratives of the participants.

FINDINGS

Three main themes were identified: 1) parental shock, 2) community echoes, and 3) ripples of trauma. The study revealed the dramatic consequences of DA on children and their families. The families dealt with the consequences of the traumatic DA event, which destabilized almost every part of their lives. The study found that parents felt alone and without assistance from the authorities while facing the consequences of the DA.

CONCLUSIONS

In examining the parents' perspectives, the current study's findings presented essential empirical knowledge regarding the DA phenomenon and encouraged future studies in this area. This study has the potential to serve as a basis for the creation of professional training programs.

Sexual Abuse of Children With Disabilities: Key Lessons and Future Directions Based on a Scoping Review

In recent years there has been a growing public and professional interest in situations of risk, abuse, and exploitation of children with disabilities (CWDs). Despite the increasing awareness of CWDs experiencing child sexual abuse (CSA) at high rates, research in this area is still in its infancy. The current study seeks to identify, map, and thoroughly analyze the existing knowledge to better inform future research, policy, and practice. A scoping review was conducted using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, identifying 35 articles addressing CSA among CWDs based on self-report surveys, official report data, and qualitative interviews. The findings addressed the phenomenon's epidemiology, disclosure, identification patterns, and consequences. Studies showed that CWDs experience CSA two to four times more often than children without disabilities and that they suffer longer and harsher abuse due to factors that complicate the identification of CSA of CWDs. This review highlights the diverse methodologies, producing a high variance in phenomenon rates, as well as unique methodological strategies for addressing challenges in CSA and disability research. Future research should focus on qualitative-retrospective studies of the perceptions of survivors and significant others in their lives (e.g., parents). Moreover, an intersectionality paradigm must be adopted in future studies to address the diverse contexts that construct the phenomenon (including sociocultural contexts). There is also a need to develop integrative interventions to allow higher accessibility of services, adaptive identification mechanisms, and more effective collaboration between professionals and CWDs.

What was missed in child protection responses during COVID-19? Perceptions of professionals from various countries

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic increased the likelihood of child maltreatment and made already difficult circumstances for children and their families much worse. This increased the significance of the child protection system's role in responding to child maltreatment and ensuring children's rights, including their right to a safe life without violence. Unfortunately, accumulating evidence has indicated that the rates of child maltreatment increased during the pandemic.

OBJECTIVE

The current study sought to identify the gaps within child protection responses in various countries during the COVID-19 pandemic and to discover how we can respond to crises in the future while preserving children's rights, including their right to protection from maltreatment.

METHOD

Five focus groups with a total of 47 professionals working with children from various countries were conducted via Zoom and analyzed using a thematic approach.

RESULTS

Three main themes were identified: 1) gaps in policies, 2) gaps in practice, and 3) professionals' messages to improve policy and practice.

CONCLUSIONS

This study emphasizes what was missed in child protection policy and practice, highlighting the continuous neglect of children's needs and voices within policies, practices and guidelines worldwide during the pandemic. Professionals' recommendations for policy and practice are also discussed.

Experiences and responses of child protection professionals during COVID-19: Lessons learned from professionals around the globe

BACKGROUND

COVID-19 significantly worsened already challenging circumstances for children and their families and globally increased the likelihood of child maltreatment. This risk heightened the urgency of child protection professionals in preventing child maltreatment and defending children's rights. The vast and growing body of research on protecting children from child maltreatment during COVID-19 has emphasized practitioners' tremendous difficulty in this arena.

OBJECTIVE

The current international study sought to identify the experiences and responses of child protection professionals to child maltreatment during COVID-19.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Five real-time, virtual focus groups were conducted among professionals who work with children from countries around the globe.

METHOD

Reflexive thematic analysis was employed to analyze the focus group transcripts.

RESULTS

The participants identified their experiences and challenges in performing their role of protecting children. Additionally, they shared context-adapted and innovative responses to child maltreatment, while emphasizing self-care and their mental health.

CONCLUSIONS

The results highlighted that child protection was significantly more challenging during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, they underlined the importance of establishing practices and policies for child protection in crisis times as well as ensuring both children's and professionals' well-being and mental health.

Examining resilience among child protection professionals during COVID-19: A global comparison across 57 countries

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic led to numerous challenges for child protection professionals (CPPs). However, limited research has investigated the interwoven concepts of coping, resilience, and mental distress among CPPs during COVID-19 on a global scale.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to explore CPPs' practice, resilience, and mental distress during COVID-19, the relationship between their resilience and mental distress, the global stability of the Multi-System Model of Resilience (MSMR), and how CPPs' resilience varied according to the Human Development Index (HDI).

METHODS

Data were collected from 420 CPPs in 57 countries across five continents between July and September 2021. Participants completed an online questionnaire on demographics, resilience, mental distress, coping, and perceptions of child protection during the pandemic in their native languages. The analyses compared the countries grouped according to HDI using means comparisons, correlations, and multiple linear regressions. A two-path analysis was also performed to identify variables associated with behavioral resilience engagement and mental distress.

RESULTS

The findings indicated that CPPs' perceptions of COVID-19's impact on child maltreatment varied in correlation with their country's HDI. There were also significant HDI-based differences regarding the perceived opportunity to engage in resilient behavior and its helpfulness. Years of professional experience, internal resilience, and external resilience were shown to be significant predictors of mental distress among CPPs during the pandemic, and resilience mediated how years of experience predicted mental distress.

CONCLUSIONS

This study emphasized the importance of experience and internal resilience for CPPs' psychological well-being. It also provides empirical evidence to support the MSMR theory on a global scale. Additionally, it demonstrates how the perceived changes in child maltreatment during COVID-19 may be associated with regional HDI. Lastly, the opportunities CPPs had to engage in resilient behavior and how much this helped them was associated with regional HDI, but not in the way originally predicted. Study results also hold implications for how practice and policy may be altered to help CPPs cope better during times of crisis and generally.

What do adults who experienced child sexual abuse want to convey about therapy?

BACKGROUND

Child sexual abuse (CSA) studies have significantly advanced the understanding of its prevalence and adverse consequences. Tremendous efforts worldwide have been devoted to CSA interventions. However, surprisingly, there is a lack of research dedicated to learning about experiences with therapy among adults who experienced CSA.

OBJECTIVE

This study was designed to address this gap by exploring the perspectives and experiences with therapy among adults who experienced CSA.

METHODS

Thirty-nine written testimonies comprised the current sample. All of the testimonies were provided to the Israeli Independent Public Inquiry into CSA by adults who experienced CSA and received therapy at one point in their lives. A qualitative inductive thematic analysis guided the exploration of the testimonies.

RESULTS

The testimonies provided an important glance into significant characteristics of therapy, such as the timing and reasons leading to therapy, and perceptions regarding what constitutes appropriate therapy. Although beneficial and rehabilitating therapy experiences were mentioned by some of the participants, the majority of the testimonies focused on experiences related to the obstacles and challenges to accessing and engaging in therapy faced by those who experienced CSA.

CONCLUSIONS

The testimonies not only addressed essential aspects of therapy, but also highlighted the importance of thoroughly comprehending the broad context of a person's life that leads them to seek therapy. The discussion points to grave social and policy lacunas that prevent people who experienced CSA from receiving therapy that is accessible, timely, subsidized, stigma-free and multifaceted.

"I Know It's Hard to Believe, But the Monster Who Abused Me is My Mother:" Experiences of Being Sexually Abused as a Child by a Female

In the present study we sought to shed light on the experience of adults who were sexually abused by females. Narratives in the current study were chosen from a large set of narratives (n = 505) that were submitted to the Israeli Independent Public Inquiry on CSA. Twenty-eight (n = 28) narratives of adults who experienced CSA committed by females were included in the study and analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Two main themes were identified: (1) adults who as children experienced CSA committed by females, and (2) personal, interpersonal, and social constructions of the abuse. Most of the narratives included intrafamilial abuse, with half of the participants reporting that their mother was the one who committed the CSA, which often occurred during daily routine activities, with the main abuse scene being the shower/bathroom. Participants described various abuse experiences including the experience of powerlessness, "standing together," and captivity. Finally, participants discussed how social constructions of gender impacted how they understood and experienced the abuse. Child sexual abuse committed by females was described by the participants as having serious consequences for their lives. Participants shared how perceived gender roles and social scripts have an important role in casting doubt on the existence and reliability of CSA experiences committed by females. Findings from the current study help to identify key characteristics of sexual abuse that was conducted by females, and suggests social mechanisms that may help explain why perpetration by females is understood and treated differently than perpetration by males.

"I was alone. No one offered me a real intervention": Israeli child protection services as experienced by adults who underwent child sexual abuse

BACKGROUND

Many children worldwide come into contact with child protection social workers (CPSW) following child sexual abuse (CSA). Surprisingly, little is known concerning how they experience and perceive these encounters.

OBJECTIVE

The current study was designed to examine the way adults who underwent CSA experienced and perceived child protection services (CPS) in Israel as conveyed in their written testimonies.

METHOD

The current sample included 83 written testimonies sent to the Israeli Independent Public Inquiry on CSA, analyzed using inductive thematic analysis.

RESULTS

The participants' testimonies uncovered two main themes: 1) experiences with CPSW interventions, including being disregarded, abandoned and disbelieved; and 2) constructions of the CPSW practice as poor, maladapted and abusive. Some participants described their active efforts to change the system from within.

CONCLUSIONS

The participants' testimonies, which reflected the negative manifestations of neoliberal policy in the CPS, will be broached in the discussion section, alongside two other significant concepts: child participation and a context-informed perspective of child risk and protection. The ramifications for policy and practice will be expanded while acknowledging the complex role of social workers in CPS.

Child protective services and out-of-home Care for Children during COVID-19: A scoping review and thematic analysis

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic challenged child protection and posed new risks for child maltreatment (CM). Moreover, governmental efforts worldwide prioritized mitigating the spread of the virus over ensuring the welfare and protection of families and children. This neglect caused hardship for many vulnerable children, including those in out-of-home care (OOHC), and challenged the functionality of child protective services (CPS). However, only limited research has investigated the impact of COVID-19 on OOHC and CPS and explored how CPS overcame the challenges of helping children in OOHC.

OBJECTIVE

This review aims to address this gap in the research to unveil the 'positive legacy' left by CPS in their work with children in OOHC during COVID-19.

METHOD

This review utilized three stages of analysis, including a scoping review followed by two rounds of thematic analysis. The scoping review was carried out in six languages: English, Hebrew, Arabic, French, Portuguese, and Spanish. The first round of thematic analysis found eight relevant articles for this review. The second round of thematic analysis found three themes related to this paper's aim in the context of COVID-19.

RESULTS

Three main themes were identified: 1) decision-making and OOHC, 2) difficulties in procedures related to OOHC placement, and 3) handling challenges of OOHC.

CONCLUSIONS

The discussion emphasizes the crucial role of preserving children's rights, hearing their voices and needs, and considering their safety and well-being when planning policies and practices to protect them. It also emphasizes society's responsibility to acknowledge contextual factors in child protection.

"Many bad things had been happening to me": Children's perceptions and experiences of polyvictimization in the context of child physical abuse

BACKGROUND

The association between child maltreatment and polyvictimization has received growing attention since being identified by Finkelhor and colleagues in 2005.

OBJECTIVE

The current study was designed to explore the experiences and perceptions of children who reported polyvictimization during forensic interviews.

METHODS

This mixed-methods study sample comprised 117 children aged 5-14, referred for the first time to forensic interviews following suspected physical abuse by a parent. More than one-third of the children reported polyvictimization. A thematic analysis was carried out to spotlight these children's experiences.

RESULTS

The analysis identified three main themes: the way children comprehend the polyvictimization, the consequences of the polyvictimization regarding the children's negative self-attribution, and the way the polyvictimization was constructed through the dynamic with the forensic interviewers.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings pointed to the importance of the forensic interview platform in assessing children's maltreatment burden. The current study also provided a glance into the possible involvement of the mechanics of self-blame among maltreated children. These findings have the potential to enhance our understanding of the excessive psychological toll taken on polyvictimized children.

The Experiences and Perceptions of Sexually Abused Children as Participants in the Legal Process: Key Conclusions From a Scoping Literature Review

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a phenomenon that receives attention from researchers and practitioners worldwide. An unknown percent of cases are disclosed bravely by children to authorities. One part of those children's journey can involve the legal process, which aims to decide whether a crime happened and, if so, to sentence the offender. To do so, a considerable amount of evidence is required. Part of what makes CSA cases complex is that the child's word is often the only evidence. There are growing discussions concerning the importance of children's participation in the legal process, pointing to its contribution to practitioners' decision-making as well as children's wellbeing. The current scoping review aimed to examine the existing knowledge regarding how children experience and perceive participation in the legal process following CSA. Although this issue has been previously addressed, the current study was designed to systematically spotlight studies that pinpoint children's perceptions and experiences. Using PRISMA guidelines, 17 manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals over the last 11 years were identified. The analysis yielded a major theme of children's need for validation, with four subthemes relating to the need to be protected, the need to be seen and heard, the need to be believed, and the need to be provided with support. The themes and how they relate to other aspects of sexually abused children's lives are discussed as well as practical implications for future studies. The main conclusion relates to the necessity for a holistic approach with children throughout the legal process.

"One Day It Will Be Over, and You Will See Other Landscapes. . . You Are Not Alone": Adult Survivors' Messages to Children Undergoing Child Sexual Abuse

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.

The global impact of COVID-19 on child protection professionals: A scoping review and thematic analysis

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered new risks for child maltreatment (CM) and exacerbated existing challenges for families and children, elevating the importance of child protection professionals (CPPs) while also adding barriers to their work. During the pandemic, many CPPs experienced increased workloads, a disrupted work environment, and personal pandemic-related hardships. However, the scope of how COVID-19 impacted CPPs globally, as well as their adopted coping strategies, have not been well explored.

OBJECTIVE

This study addresses these gaps in the research by conducting an international scoping review to explore and analyze these topics.

METHOD

The scoping review was performed in six languages: English, Hebrew, Arabic, French, Spanish, and Portuguese, across 16 databases. Sixteen manuscripts were included in the final thematic analysis of this review.

RESULTS

Two main themes were identified: 1) the impact of COVID-19 on CPPs, and 2) the coping and adaptation strategies employed by CPPs during COVID-19. This review revealed and emphasized the importance of CPPs' resilience during COVID-19, underpinned by the theoretical framework of the social ecology of resilience.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights the responsibility of social ecologies and organizational structures to create readiness for a rapid response in times of crisis as well as valuable evidence to inform how CPPs, children, and families may be better supported in the event of a future crisis.

Noticing the unutilized resource of siblinghood: Key conclusions from a scoping review about siblings in out-of-home placements

BACKGROUND

Sibling bonds are often the most enduring relationship in an individual's life span. The out-of-home placement of siblings is widespread and may significantly influence children's journeys and wellbeing.

OBJECTIVE

The current scoping literature review was designed to characterize and analyze the existing knowledge regarding siblings in out-of-home placements.

METHOD

Key databases were explored using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, which identified 33 studies relevant to the current study's focus. The studies used quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods and included a variety of out-of-home placement settings and sample characteristics.

RESULTS

Utilizing thematic analysis, the findings addressed three main themes: the sibling bond as a contributor to the wellbeing of children in out-of-home placements, trends in sibling placement, and difficulties in maintaining the sibling bond in out-of-home placements regarding micro, meso and exo factors.

CONCLUSION

A key conclusion from the review is that the welfare system struggles to address a child as a part of a sibling group and an extensive and multilayered relational network; hence, siblinghood is an unutilized resource in out-of-home placements. Future directions for practice, policy and research are included and discussed.

Child Sexual Abuse Studies in Arab Societies: A Systematic Review and Directions for Future Research

Although child sexual abuse (CSA) is acknowledged as a worldwide social phenomenon, less is known about CSA within Arab societies. The current systematic literature review was designed to highlight the empirical knowledge on CSA in Arab societies. Guided by PRISMA principles, key databases were searched, with no time limit, for studies meeting the inclusion criteria. Fifty-seven studies were identified. The majority focused on the prevalence of CSA in various Arab societies around the world, with a wide range of rates reported. It is important to stress two main barriers addressed by the included studies. The first relates to the issue of taboo and the forbidden discussion of sexual content. The second is ethical, in which the researchers expressed their fear of creating emotional distress for their participants. A small group of studies examined parents' perceptions of CSA and the need for parents' involvement in the protection of their children. Another small group of studies focused on professionals' perceptions and experiences in contending with CSA, as well as their distress, conflict, and urgent need for support and guidance. The conclusions from the systematic literature review emphasized the enormous challenge of conducting studies on CSA in Arab societies and the urgent need to advance this research while also including children and adult survivors, whose perceptions and experiences are currently understudied. Moreover, the discussion stresses the need to adopt an intersectionality paradigm in future studies to advance the improvement of CSA policy and practice.

"I was the only one talking about the abuse": Experiences and perceptions of survivors who underwent child sexual abuse as boys

OBJECTIVE

Empirical literature on child sexual abuse (CSA) has traditionally focused on the CSA of girls. Much less is known about the CSA of boys, specifically about the survivors' experiences. The current study was designed to examine the experiences and perceptions of male adult survivors who underwent CSA as boys.

METHOD

Fifty-one written narratives were collected from survivors who experienced CSA as boys as part of the Israeli Independent Public Inquiry into CSA. A qualitative inductive thematic analysis guided the data analysis.

RESULTS

The findings highlighted CSA survivors' experiences of not understanding and confusion about the abuse while highlighting the context in which the abuse took place. The findings also emphasized the exploitation of power and the survivors' difficulty identifying being sexually abused during physical fights or public events. Moreover, the survivors referred to their surroundings' failure to notice the abuse and their struggle to establish their identity and overcome the abuse consequences, their loneliness and pain.

CONCLUSION

The present findings advance the literature on the CSA of boys by examining narratives written by male CSA survivors. They highlight the potentially destructive role of the heteronormative and conventional masculinity discourse for male CSA survivors, which often enabled the continuation of abuse and challenges that survivors continued to face throughout their lives. The findings also stress society's crucial role in CSA prevention and treatment and the need for public education to challenge societal perceptions regarding the CSA of boys.

"We were there all alone": Sexual abuse within the peer group in boarding schools in Israel - Retrospective perceptions of adult survivors

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.

Child Maltreatment During COVID-19: Key Conclusions and Future Directions Based on a Systematic Literature Review

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a far-ranging impact. As societies struggled to minimize infection, questions arose regarding the consequences for children. Initial research reported the urgent need for child protective services worldwide to adapt existing policies and practices to protect children from maltreatment during this time, which is the rationale for the current systematic literature review. This review examined studies published in peer-reviewed journals from March 2020 to October 2020 on child maltreatment (CM) in the context of COVID-19. Twenty-five manuscripts met the inclusion criteria and were predominantly from the United States, with three international studies. The majority of the studies included CM reports during COVID-19 based on official data. The results clearly demonstrated an increased risk for children alongside a worrisome international decrease in CM reports. Only two studies addressed interventions during the pandemic. The current review highlights that, along with the obligation of scholars to advance the protection of children during COVID-19, there is much that is unknown. Future studies should examine the impact of the pandemic on children and their surrounding systems as well as child protective services' responses, which face enormous challenges during a pandemic. An additional conclusion is that, since children were not identified as a health risk group during the pandemic, their protection rights may have been jeopardized. Furthermore, the variance identified in the policies of different countries pinpoints the urgent need to establish an international protocol for protecting children from maltreatment during COVID-19, a protocol that will hopefully be a basis for policymakers worldwide.

What Can We Learn About the Others Present During Incidents of Child Abuse?: Key Lessons and Future Directions Based on a Scoping Review

Child abuse (CA) is a global problem that has received attention from policymakers, researchers, and practitioners. The majority of studies have focused on the phenomenon's epidemiology and consequences, alongside groundbreaking writing on victims and perpetrators. The concept of others who are present during the abuse is understudied and underdeveloped, despite its vital importance in better understanding children's experiences as well as their disclosure. The current study was designed to spotlight the phenomenon of others' presence, beyond the victims and perpetrators, during child abuse incidents. The current literature review was guided by a scoping review strategy. The results revealed scant empirical data, with only 15 studies meeting the inclusion criteria of the study. The articles that met the inclusion criteria addressed other people's presence during CA incidents, were published in peer-reviewed journals, and were written in the English language. These articles' analyses addressed the relations of the survivors with these others, pointing mainly to two identities: accidental bystanders who are not familiar with the child and family members of the child. The results provided a glance into the process that accidental bystanders go through during the abuse and the meaning of their presence for those who are family members. The perceptions and experiences of the children themselves with respect to the presence of the others during the abuse are noticeably lacking. The key conclusion from the current scoping review pinpoints the urgent need to advance the empirical knowledge on the presence of others during incidents of child abuse, especially others who are familiar to the children and are a significant part of their lives. The conceptualization of this phenomenon has the potential to better adapt prevention and intervention efforts in the field of child abuse.

"Our family sleeps deeply": The Presence of Others During Intrafamilial Child Sexual Abuse as Conveyed By Girls From Diverse Communities in Israel

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is generally perceived as a crime perpetrated out of sight, without witnesses. Nevertheless, several researchers have explored the presence of others during incidents of abuse in regards to two main aspects: bystanders in extrafamilial CSA and bystanders' decisions whether or not to get involved. However, there is a dearth of knowledge regarding how children who experience abuse perceive and experience the presence of others during abusive incidents. The current study was designed to examine the experiences and perceptions of girls who experienced intrafamilial CSA (IFCSA) with respect to the presence of others, as conveyed during their forensic interviews. A thematic analysis of 24 forensic interviews was conducted with secular Jewish, ultra-Orthodox Jewish, and Muslim Arab girls, aged 4-14. The analysis identified four main themes: (a) the girls' perceptions of others' awareness of them being abused, (b) the girl's experiences of loneliness, (c) the girls' experiences of disclosing to the others present during the abuse, and (d) family dynamics. The discussion highlights the unique, multifaceted and elusive dynamics of IFCSA, calling into question the commonly held view that it happens only in secret. The girls' narratives highlighted their distress and pointed to the abusive and unbearable daily routine in which they live. In spotlighting their encounters with IFCSA, the girls focused on the feelings of guilt, shame, and isolation they experienced.

Not a happy story. A love story: Professional perceptions of love in families with child sexual abuse in two US mid-Atlantic Child Advocacy Centers

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.

"When I was a child, the doctor advised me to have sex more gently": The perceptions and experiences with the healthcare system as conveyed by adult survivors of child sexual abuse

RATIONALE

Extensive findings have illuminated the implications of child sexual abuse (CSA) for mental and physical health. Attention has been dedicated to the discrepancy between the high prevalence of CSA, and the lack of adequate CSA screening and trauma-informed care within healthcare systems.

OBJECTIVE

This study was designed to examine this discrepancy by providing CSA survivors' perspectives. Specifically, this study aims to uncover the perceptions and experiences of female survivors of CSA concerning their encounters with the healthcare system.

METHODS

Written narratives were collected from 53 female survivors of CSA as part of the Israeli Independent Public Inquiry into CSA, which were analyzed guided by an inductive thematic analysis.

RESULTS

This study's findings portrayed a complex scenery in which female survivors of CSA are concurrently dependent on healthcare services due to the CSA-related morbidity, yet they are hesitant and have difficulty approaching healthcare services. Additionally, the findings showed that the survivors of CSA described being perceived as mentally ill and distrustful; they also were encouraged to take excessive medication by healthcare providers, which resulted in many survivors of CSA avoiding further treatment. Furthermore, the survivors of CSA conveyed several clear messages to the healthcare system, all of which called for the urgent need to implement trauma-informed care.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings underline the necessity of a paradigm shift in which health and illness are viewed in light of personal, interpersonal, and social contexts. Simply put, it is time for trauma-informed care to be extensively implemented in healthcare services.

What Messages Are Communicated to Children in Maltreatment Prevention Programs? Conclusions of a Scoping Review

There is a worldwide consensus that the prevention of child maltreatment (CM) is critical in promoting children's safety. Furthermore, a significant part of the prevention efforts targets the children themselves. This scoping review aimed to map the characteristics of CM prevention programs that targeted children by examining studies that described the relevant implemented programs, published in peer-reviewed journals over the last decade. Thirty-one relevant manuscripts were identified from the online databases. The analysis, guided by scoping review guidelines, examined these programs in terms of content, context of delivery, and practitioners involved. A thematic analysis identified the key messages conveyed to the children. The findings showed that the vast majority of programs are school-based and focused on preventing child sexual abuse (CSA) with considerably less attention given to other forms of maltreatment. In addition, most programs did not promote active parental participation. The content descriptions of the CSA prevention programs revealed several common key messages that focused on children's individual safety skills, specifically recognition, refusal strategies, and disclosure. The discussion addresses the concepts of blame and guilt as crucial to rethinking the CM prevention messages conveyed to children. Key conclusions that were drawn from the current scoping review highlight the need to better align prevention efforts and recent CM research. Additionally, ceiling effects in several studies indicated that children's participation, as information sources and partners in program development, should be promoted, so that prevention efforts will meet their needs within their various relevant life contexts.

The social response to child sexual abuse: Examining parents, perpetrators, professionals and media responses as described in survivors' testimonies to the Israeli Independent Public Inquiry

BACKGROUND

CSA is an extremely adverse experience, and its prompt and early disclosure is vital. Whether the effects of disclosure are positive or negative depends largely on the recipients' reactions to the disclosure. Early disclosure of abuse could help end the abuse, prevent repeated victimization, protect other children, enable psychological interventions, and make it possible to hold the perpetrator(s) accountable.

OBJECTIVE

Spotlighting the societal responsibility regarding CSA, the current study was designed to examine how adult survivors of CSA perceived and experienced various actors' responses to the CSA, as well as the impact of these responses on their lives.

METHODS

Qualitative inductive thematic analysis was carried out on 35 written narratives of adult survivors of CSA submitted to the Israeli Independent Public Inquiry into CSA.

RESULTS

The results pointed to several actors responding to CSA, and delved into the perceived responses of the parents, preparators, professionals and media.

CONCLUSION

The discussion emphasizes the crucial role of social responses to CSA, while addressing the various actors and their dynamics. The journey to justice through the inquiry process is being challenged throughout the social discourse highlighted in the current study. There is an urgent need to provide public platforms for survivors to share their testimonies to mitigate the stigmatization of CSA, which will hopefully promote more just societies.

"It was Really Hard for Me to Tell": The Gap between the Child's Difficulty in Disclosing Sexual Abuse, and their Perception of the Disclosure Recipient's Response

Disclosure of child sexual abuse (CSA) is essential to its mitigation and the protection of children. Previous studies have greatly contributed to the understanding of disclosure rates both in childhood and adulthood, in addition to delayed disclosure and disclosure barriers. In acknowledging the relevancy of the ecological framework, researchers have illustrated how the various systems in the children's lives have a role in their decision to disclose the abuse. The current study was designed to delve into the disclosure stories shared by children during their forensic interviews. Fifty children, 30 girls and 20 boys, from diverse communities in the Jewish society in Israel (15 secular, 15 Orthodox and 20 ultra-Orthodox) were forensically interviewed for the first time following CSA. Thematic analysis was carried out on their narratives, focusing on two main themes. The first was the children's descriptions of their difficulties to disclose, which were embedded in their own perceptions and experiences, their fear of the disclosure recipient's response, and their dynamic with the perpetrator. The second theme provided a glance into the children's descriptions of the disclosure recipients' responses, which highlighted the children's central experience of loneliness in the context of the abuse. Theoretical and practical ramifications pertaining to these crucial gaps will be discussed. In addition, specific religious-cultural elements raised in relation to the disclosure will be highlighted. Limitations of the study as well as further recommendations and implications will be introduced.

"Not understanding but feeling guilty at the same time": The peritraumatic responses of CSA survivors from the Muslim Arab community in Israel

BACKGROUND

Studies on child sexual abuse (CSA) have greatly contributed to theoretical and empirical developments, advancing policy and practice. However, studies on CSA in closed societies are still scarce.

OBJECTIVE

The current study focuses on CSA in the Muslim Arab community in Israel while delving into the peritraumatic responses of survivors to CSA.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Twenty-eight Muslim Arab survivors of CSA provided written testimonies for an independent inquiry.

METHODS

The exploration of the Muslim Arab survivors' peritraumatic responses to CSA, according to their testimonies, was guided by an inductive thematic analysis and Braun and Clarke's (2006) six steps of analysis.

RESULTS

The results indicated that, as most of the abusive incidents were committed by an extended family member, the survivors experienced an inability to understand what had happened to them while simultaneously feeling guilt and self-blame. Furthermore, the survivors discussed feeling trapped by all of the systems and social expectations in their lives, leaving them feeling extremely lonely and with the understanding that seeking help and disclosing the abuse was not relevant for them.

CONCLUSION

The discussion addresses the developments in the research on peritraumatic responses that require further examination. This includes top-down processes that might explain survivors' peritraumatic responses, which are not merely instinctual. In addition, when perpetrators are family members, survivors are expected to stay in contact with them, which demands enormous resources and survival strategies from the survivors.

Child Sexual Abuse by Religious Authority Figures in Germany and Israel: The Experiences and Perceptions of Adult Survivors

The current study is based on an in-depth thematic analysis of 20 interviews with German and Israeli adult survivors of child sexual abuse (CSA) by religious authority figures (RAF). This paper aims to explore survivors' experiences within the Jewish ultra-Orthodox and Christian communities, as well as to draw comparisons between the abusive structures and disclosure in these two contexts. The results point to the complexity of CSA by RAF, which is embedded in the survivors' perceptions of themselves as emotionally and cognitively captured by the perpetrators who are a symbol of a parent or God and faith. The participants expressed great concern regarding disclosing the abuse against the backdrop of familial, cultural, and community inhibitors, such as fear of social stigmatization, inability to recognize the abuse, and the taboo of sexuality discourse. The survivors' traumatic experiences were intensified in light of negative social responses to disclosure and encounters with insensitive officials. A comparison of the cultures revealed differences regarding the nature of community life and educational institutions, which may have shaped the disclosure and recognition of the abuse. The study highlights the importance of comparative follow-up studies related to this phenomenon in order to examine its universal and unique cultural contexts.

"I do not remember… You are reminding me now!": Children's difficult experiences during forensic interviews about online sexual solicitation

BACKGROUND

Forensic interviews for children who have undergone online sexual solicitation (OSS) constitute a unique setting compared to other forms of child sexual abuse (CSA). In these cases, the interviewer holds concrete evidence of the abuse in the form of pictures or texts. During the interview, interviewers use these materials to advance the data collection regarding the abuse, a practice that may significantly influence the child's wellbeing.

OBJECTIVE

The current study aims to explore children's experiences during forensic interviews concerning OSS.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

The sample included 20 Jewish children in Israel who were referred to and participated in a forensic investigation.

METHODS

A thematic qualitative methodology was used to analyze the children's narratives.

RESULTS

The findings demonstrate the children's difficulties when confronted with materials related to the abuse. The children detailed the different ways the interview challenged their wellbeing, including visualizing and verbalizing the abuse, new insights, and being videotaped.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings in the current study emphasized the intrinsic challenges that children face in OSS forensic interviews resulting from the tension between the interviewer's need to collect details about the abuse and the child's desire to forget it. Practical ramifications pertaining to these threats to the child's wellbeing, future recommendations, and limitations of the study will be discussed.

"The most shocking thing was that I didn't respond to the abuse": The peritraumatic responses and transitions as conveyed by survivors of continuous child sexual abuse

BACKGROUND

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a worldwide phenomenon with ongoing and far-reaching consequences for millions of children worldwide. It is a consensus among researchers that continuous CSA represents a unique challenge.

OBJECTIVE

The current study aimed to explore the peritraumatic responses of survivors of continuous CSA as described in their written narratives of abuse. The transitions between the peritraumatic responses will also be examined, highlighting the unique context of continuous CSA.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Written narratives of CSA were recruited via an advertisement in the media inviting CSA survivors to share their stories of abuse on an anonymous online platform. The data collection was carried out under the Israeli Independent Public Inquiry on CSA.

METHODS

A qualitative thematic analysis was applied to 32 richly written accounts of abuse.

RESULTS

Three peritraumatic responses were identified: the adaptive response, hinting, and attempts to fight and flight. Transitions between these responses were described by the survivors and addressed the heavy load of the abuse, realization of the abuse, fear of consequences and the central role of the survivor's environment.

CONCLUSIONS

The current study provides a unique platform for the exploration of peritraumatic responses in continuous CSA. Alongside the identification of three peritraumatic responses described by the survivors, the current study provides an initial glance into transitions between peritraumatic responses. This insight strengthens the developing notion that peritraumatic responses in the unique context of CSA are a top-down process, often shaped by various contexts and multidimensional dynamics in the children's lives.

"Explode into small pieces": Suicidal ideation among child sexual abuse survivors

BACKGROUND

Child sexual abuse (CSA) has been acknowledged as predisposing survivors to an increased risk of suicidal ideation and attempts. Despite this risk being widely recognized, the study of suicidality has mainly focused on psychopathology, while less attention has been given to survivors' experiences and perceptions.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to uncover the experiences and perceptions of suicidality among adult CSA survivors.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTINGS

The sample consisted of 41 adult CSA survivors' written narratives of abuse that included references to suicide.

METHODS

Written narratives of CSA experiences were collected from 41 adult participants as part of the Israeli Independent Public Inquiry on CSA to change public policy. An inductive thematic analysis guided the exploration of the stories.

RESULTS

The findings portrayed several main themes regarding the survivors' experiences before, during and after suicidal thoughts and behaviors. These themes elucidated their motivations leading to suicidal attempts, including the wish to end one's self and suffering, self-blame, communicate the abuse and the request for recognition. Additionally, the survivors' stories illuminated their experiences following the suicidal attempts, depicting inadequate treatment and difficulties with the psychiatric labeling of a mental health disorder.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this study uncover new insights regarding the link between trauma, posttraumatic suffering, and suicidality within a social interaction context. Furthermore, these findings call medical and psychosocial health practitioners to view post-CSA suffering as trauma-related rather than personal psychopathology and to adjust practices to adapt to survivors' experiences and needs.

Child protective services during COVID-19 and doubly marginalized children: International perspectives

BACKGROUND

Alongside deficits in children's wellbeing, the COVID-19 pandemic has created an elevated risk for child maltreatment and challenges for child protective services worldwide. Therefore, some children might be doubly marginalized, as prior inequalities become exacerbated and new risk factors arise.

OBJECTIVE

To provide initial insight into international researchers' identification of children who might have been overlooked or excluded from services during the pandemic.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

This study was part of an international collaboration involving researchers from Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Israel, South Africa, Uganda, the UK and the USA. Researchers from each country provided a written narrative in response to the three research questions in focus, which integrated the available data from their countries.

METHOD

Three main questions were explored: 1) Who are the children that were doubly marginalized? 2) What possible mechanisms may be at the root? and 3) In what ways were children doubly marginalized? The international scholars provided information regarding the three questions. A thematic analysis was employed using the intersectional theoretical framework to highlight the impact of children's various identities.

RESULTS

The analysis yielded three domains: (1) five categories of doubly marginalized children at increased risk of maltreatment, (2) mechanisms of neglect consisting of unplanned, discriminatory and inadequate actions, and (3) children were doubly marginalized through exclusion in policy and practice and the challenges faced by belonging to vulnerable groups.

CONCLUSION

The COVID-19 pandemic can be used as a case study to illustrate the protection of children from maltreatment during worldwide crises. Findings generated the understanding that child protective systems worldwide must adhere to an intersectionality framework to protect all children and promote quality child protection services.

"And Then Cinderella Was Lying in My Bed": Dissociation Displays in Forensic Interviews With Children Following Intrafamilial Child Sexual Abuse

Child sexual abuse (CSA) has been implicated in dissociative peritraumatic and post-traumatic symptoms and disorders. Although explicitly relevant to the legal process following alleged CSA, very little is known about dissociative manifestations in the context of forensic interviews with children following abuse. The current study was designed to uncoverperi- and post-traumatic dissociation of abused children as revealed in forensic interviews. The study examines the display of dissociation in 42 forensic interviews with children (29 girls, aged 4-14) following intra familial child sexual abuse (IFCSA). Thematic analysis was used to identify key expressions of dissociation in all of the forensic interviews. The analyses identified depersonalization and derealization in the children's description of the abuse. This was manifested both in an inability to feel things that happened during the incidents or imagination and fantasies that were reported as part of the abusive incidents. The children's interviews also revealed the potential manifestations of dissociative amnesia, which was evident in the children's attempts to communicate their retrieval difficulties to the forensic interviewers. Finally, it was identified that the forensic interviews were a platform in which dissociative post-traumatic reactions were activated and often displayed in sensory flashbacks. The current findings uncover the importance of acknowledging trauma and dissociation in the context of forensic interviews with abused children and the urgent need to implement unique responses to trauma within practical guidelines.

One year into COVID-19: What have we learned about child maltreatment reports and child protective service responses?

BACKGROUND

A year has passed since COVID-19 began disrupting systems. Although children are not considered a risk population for the virus, there is accumulating knowledge regarding children's escalating risk for maltreatment during the pandemic.

OBJECTIVE

The current study is part of a larger initiative using an international platform to examine child maltreatment (CM) reports and child protective service (CPS) responses in various countries. The first data collection, which included a comparison between eight countries after the pandemic's first wave (March-June 2020), illustrated a worrisome picture regarding children's wellbeing. The current study presents the second wave of data across 12 regions via population data (Australia [New South Wales], Brazil, United States [California, Pennsylvania], Colombia, England, Germany, Israel, Japan, Canada [Ontario, Quebec], South Africa).

METHOD

Regional information was gathered, including demographics, economic situation, and CPS responses to COVID-19. A descriptive analysis was conducted to provide an overview of the phenomenon.

RESULTS

Across all of the countries, COVID-19 had a substantial negative impact on the operation of CPSs and the children and families they serve by disrupting in-person services. One year into the COVID-19 pandemic, new reports of CM varied across the regions.¹ In some, the impact of COVID-19 on CPS was low to moderate, while in others, more significant changes created multiple challenges for CPS services.

CONCLUSIONS

COVID-19 created a barrier for CPS to access and protect children. The dramatic variance between the regions demonstrated how social, economic and structural contexts impact both CM reports and CPS responses.

Children's Peritraumatic Responses During Sexual Abuse Incidents: Exploring the Narratives of Children From Different Ethnoreligious Groups in Israel

The peritraumatic response of children during incidents of child sexual abuse (CSA) is a neglected construct in the literature. Despite the widespread use of the fight-flight-freeze model, recent studies have shown that in the unique context of child abuse, additional peritraumatic responses could be relevant. The current mixed-methods study examined children's peritraumatic responses to CSA. The sample consisted of 249 forensic interviews with children aged from 4 to 13 years. An initial qualitative analysis resulted in identifying various ways in which the children responded to the abuse, the children's decision-making around these responses, as well their perceptions of their response. This analysis was followed by quantitative analyses, which explored the frequency of these peritraumatic responses and their correlation with the characteristics of the children and abuse. Six peritraumatic response categories were identified, the most common being fight, flight, and fear. Only ethnoreligious identity was significantly correlated with the fight-or-flight response, with a significantly lower frequency among Muslim and ultra-Orthodox Jewish children. Frequency of abuse and perpetrator familiarity were correlated with the frequency of the fight-or-flight response, indicating that the latter was less relevant in reoccurring incidents of abuse and with perpetrators who were family members. The findings promote the conceptualization of children's peritraumatic responses during incidents of abuse and the realization of the crucial role of children's ecological systems in their peritraumatic responses to incidents of abuse.

Peritraumatic Pain in Child Sexual Abuse: Children's Descriptions of Pain as Conveyed in Their Testimonies Following Child Sexual Abuse

The literature on child sexual abuse (CSA) has contributed significantly to the understanding of its characteristics, epidemiology, and consequences. Considerably less attention has been dedicated, however, to the subjective experiences of the abused children, and more specifically to their experiences of pain. The current study explored the way children perceive and describe pain during and shortly following incidents of sexual abuse. The sample was comprised of 35 transcripts of forensic interviews following alleged CSA. Thematic analysis of the children's narratives identified three themes: (a) pain during the abusive incidents, described using words indicating its intensity and quality; (b) pain shortly after the abusive incidents, including weeks later, and (c) pain as embedded within the complex dynamic with perpetrator. The children struggled to localize the pain, mainly using words such as "inside" and "deep." Moreover, they testified that in the course of the abusive incidents, they were often silenced when trying to communicate their pain to the perpetrators. The children's narratives provided us with a unique opportunity to learn about the pain not only during the abusive incidents but also following it. Additionally, children described suffering from pain in areas that were not directly injured during the CSA incidents, mainly referring to the head, abdomen and legs. The discussion addresses the potential intervening factors in peritraumatic CSA pain, as well as its potential links with chronic post-traumatic physical and mental morbidity. This study illuminates the necessity to address the complicated links between short- and long-term physical, emotional, cognitive, and interpersonal manifestations of CSA.

"Yes, My Uncle, I'll Do Whatever You Say": Experiences of Israeli Muslim Arab Children During Forensic Interviews Following Child Sexual Abuse

Children from Arab society in Israel have been overlooked in previous studies and efforts in the area of forensic interviews. The current study provides an in-depth thematic analysis of 30 forensic interviews with Israeli Muslim Arab children following child sexual abuse (CSA), all conducted by Arab forensic interviewers. In multicultural Israeli society, Muslim Arabs make up 18% of the population. In addition to the religious and cultural difference, this minority is involved in an ongoing conflict with the majority Jewish society in Israel and tends to have low trust of government authorities. This background necessarily affects the area of forensic interviews with children. The research explores the unique encounter between maltreated children from Israeli Muslim Arab society and forensic interviewers, highlighting its particular characteristics and challenges. Data analysis revealed a central theme of a clash of worlds. The forensic interviewers, although hailing from a similar background as the children, followed best practices developed in western societies. The children, on the other hand, faced enormous conflict in addressing CSA terminology and complying with the requirements of the forensic world in ways that are forbidden to the them in their own. Moreover, having been educated to accept the authority of adults unquestioningly, the children were torn between the difficulty of disclosing the abuse to someone outside the family, and the obligation to communicate candidly with the adult interviewer as required in the forensic context. The findings highlight the urgent need to reform the services these children receive and to dedicate future efforts to further assessment of cultural context and its impact on maltreated children, particularly in the forensic context.

Unspoken: Child-Perpetrator Dynamic in the Context of Intrafamilial Child Sexual Abuse

The literature on child sexual abuse (CSA) has contributed greatly to the understanding of child-perpetrator dynamic while mainly addressing the concepts of grooming and manipulation. Considerably less attention has been dedicated, however, to child-perpetrator dynamic in intrafamilial child sexual abuse (IFCSA). The current study examined how children perceive and experience the dynamic with their perpetrator parents in the context of IFCSA, as conveyed by victims. Analysis of 29 forensic interviews with children aged 8 to 14 years suggested above all, across all identified themes, the unspoken nature of IFCSA. Specifically, the children shared their surprise at the abusive incidents despite having described a long and unspoken grooming process. The children shared their understanding of the secretive nature of IFCSA although that too was unspoken, while illustrating the fear and terror in the family dynamic. Finally, the children discussed the elusiveness of the dynamic in terms of the natural and unnatural aspects of the relationship. The discussion addresses the unique nature of IFCSA and the family dynamic. The main implication for practice is the urgent need to modify existing instruction and training programs for practitioners to better adjust them to IFCSA survivors. More specifically, the elusive nature of IFCSA must be conveyed to both clinical and forensic practitioners who need to evaluate and intervene in with child survivors of IFCSA. In addition, the fear and terror that characterize the family dynamic and the unspoken, unbridled rule of the perpetrator fathers are of central importance in adapting interventions to children and their families in the context of IFCSA.

"If Only I Could Have Stopped It": Reflections of Adult Child Sexual Abuse Survivors on Their Responses During the Abuse

Child sexual abuse (CSA) has received much research attention in recent years, leading to the considerable development of services provided for children worldwide. The literature in the field of trauma studies recognizes that responses to trauma are of central importance and mainly discusses the fight-flight-freeze model of automatic responses to traumatic events. For a variety of reasons, research on this specific subject in the field of CSA is sparse. The current study was designed to spotlight the way adults perceive their responses during incidents of CSA. Semistructured interviews were carried out with 20 survivors who described their responses. The results pointed to the irrelevance of "fight or flight" responses in the context of CSA and emphasized compliance, avoidance, and simply surviving the abuse. In addition, the survivors shared the thoughts they had had during the abusive incidents. Specifically, while they understood that what was being done to them was wrong, they also realized that there was little they could do other than try to survive. The survivors' reflections on how their responses to CSA affected their negative self-attributions and on the way they contend with difficult incidents in adulthood suggest the central role played by CSA responses. The findings point to the multifaceted nature of responses to CSA and to the urgent need to further examine them by exploring other relevant contexts and perceptions to develop a theoretical model that will address responses to child abuse and inform both prevention and intervention efforts.

Disclosing the abuse: The effect of ethnoreligious identity on CSA disclosure in forensic interviews

Multiple studies have examined sexually abused children and their interactions with the legal system, as manifested in children's disclosures of sexual abuse during forensic interviews. Nevertheless, few have done so while referencing contextual variables, such as ethnoreligious identity. The current study was designed to examine how ethnoreligious identity affects children's disclosure in forensic interviews beyond the contribution of child characteristics and abuse characteristics. In addition, the moderating role of pre-interview disclosure was examined. An analysis of 1054 forensic interviews conducted in Israel indicated a relationship between a child's age, gender, and abuse characteristics (i.e., perpetrator identity and type of abuse) with the likelihood of disclosure during the forensic interview. The results indicated a relationship between ethnoreligious identity and forensic disclosure. Unexpectedly, Muslim Arab children were more likely to disclose than Jewish children. Predictably, pre-interview disclosure moderated the relationship between abuse characteristics and ethnoreligious identity (among Jews) and forensic disclosure. Conversely, it did not moderate the relationship between child characteristics and disclosure during the forensic interview. The findings demonstrate the importance of a context-informed examination of child abuse disclosure and its potential to advance the development of services adapted to children from diverse communities.

"Maybe I imagined it, maybe it really was all just childish play": Complexity and ambiguity in survivors' perceptions of harmful preadolescent sexual behavior

BACKGROUND

Harmful preadolescent sexual behavior (HPSB) is an understudied phenomenon in the field of child sexual abuse (CSA).

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of the present study was to analyze and describe the experiences and perceptions of adult survivors of HPSB.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

16 survivors of HPSB were recruited as part of a purposeful sample. Their ages at the time of the study ranged from 21 to 50; they were Jewish-Israeli, secular, and Hebrew-speaking.

METHODS

Semi-structured interviews and qualitative thematic analysis were conducted based on a descriptive phenomenological-psychological approach.

RESULTS

Participants described elements of complexity in their perceptions of the "truthiness" of their memories and the mutuality of the HPSB experiences, as well as their primacy, seriousness, and life impact. They also described elements of support during disclosure, but mostly exposed the challenges and hardship involved, particularly the lack of legitimacy in exposing harmful sexual behavior perpetrated by other children.

CONCLUSIONS

Both the HPSB experiences themselves and the subsequent disclosure contributed to the development of detached, mistrustful identities among the participants.

"And I Let It All Out": Survivors' Sibling Sexual Abuse Disclosures

There is consensus in child sexual abuse (CSA) literature with respect to the central role of the disclosure process. However, CSA disclosure is challenging for all children, those who have experienced intrafamilial abuse. In recent years, there has been growing research into sibling sexual abuse (SSA), which is a prevalent and severe, but also the least studied form of intrafamilial CSA. This study was designed to advance theory on SSA disclosure by examining the narratives of adults who have disclosed the abuse and discuss it with reference to the perceived role of disclosure recipients-including perpetrating siblings, parents, and professionals. In-depth interviews with 25 adults were conducted and analyzed thematically. The results highlighted the significance of disclosure for survivors, as well as the central roles played by significant others in the process, including the offending and nonoffending siblings, parents, and professionals. The discussion addresses the important role of the family system in the disclosure narratives. The conclusions point to the need of all actors taking part in the disclosure itself, as well as in the survivors' lives postdisclosure, to become "better" disclosure recipients by acknowledging survivors' needs. This in turn would also empower survivors to disclose their stories and cope with the potential familial and societal ramifications of their disclosure.

Children's Responses to Maltreatment: Key Conclusions From a Systematic Literature Review

Child maltreatment (CM) has received much research attention in recent years, leading to the enormous development of services provided to children worldwide. However, although the literature in the field of trauma studies recognizes that responses to trauma are of central importance, for a variety of reasons, the research on this subject is sparse. The current systematic literature review was therefore designed to characterize and analyze the existing knowledge on children's responses to CM, while putting in focus all possible responses that will appear in the identified manuscripts. Key databases were explored using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, and only six studies were identified as relevant to the focus of the current study. Utilizing thematic analysis, the results addressed four main themes: the studies' methodologies, the terminology and responses that were explored in these studies, the abuse-related factors and contexts that were taken into account, and the consequences for the children (of their responses to the maltreatment). A key conclusion from this review is that concepts in this area, as well as theory, are considerably lacking. Promoting the development of theory regarding children's responses to CM is urgently needed, as it will greatly impact clinical intervention, legal investigation, and the development of prevention programs.

The shielding effect of not responding: Peritraumatic responses to child abuse and their links to posttraumatic symptomatology

BACKGROUND

Extensive literature focuses on peritraumatic responses to trauma and their link to subsequent posttraumatic symptomatology. However, although posttraumatic symptomatology following child abuse (CA) has been documented, research on peritraumatic responses to CA is sparse.

OBJECTIVE

The current study utilizes a new typology of peritraumatic responses to CA and tests whether automatic and behavioral peritraumatic responses to CA differ in their long-term implications for posttraumatic symptomatology, i.e., posttraumatic stress (PTS symptoms), deficiency in self-organization (DSO symptoms; complex posttraumatic symptoms), and dissociation.

PARTICIPANTS, SETTINGS AND METHODS

One-hundred and eighty adult CA survivors reported on CA, peritraumatic responses, PTS symptoms, DSO symptoms, and dissociation.

RESULTS

The tendency to freeze and dissociate, and utilize extensive behavioral methods to survive the abuse were implicated in higher posttraumatic symptomatology (F(2,178) > 4.26, p < 0.01). The absence of automatic and behavioral responses were found to be implicated in the lowest levels of posttraumatic symptomatology (p < 0.01) and to buffer the effect of CA severity on PTS and DSO posttraumatic symptoms (0.047 > effect>0.029, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The findings uncovered a novel response pattern, reflected in a tendency to eradicate responses to CA, which was the most protective in regard to its link to later posttraumatic symptomatology. Contrarily, the most scarring peritraumatic responses to CA that arose from the findings were the tendency to freeze and dissociate and utilize various excessive behavioral methods to endure the abuse. These findings imply that CA generates several possible responses, some of which, although allowing for survival in childhood, have adverse effects in adulthood.

"It burns her more than it burns for me": The sibling subsystem in the context of child physical abuse as portrayed by children during forensic interviews

BACKGROUND

The sibling subsystem is a central and potentially protective factor for children. Nevertheless, in the context of child abuse, it remains surprisingly understudied.

OBJECTIVE

The current study was designed to examine how children referred to a forensic interview following suspected physical abuse experienced and perceived the sibling subsystem.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

The sample included 60 forensic interviews with children, aged 4 to 14. Each child had at least one sibling and referred to this sibling in the context of the abuse they experienced.

METHODS

Thematic analysis was carried out on the narratives provided by the children. Several steps were taken to ensure the trustworthiness of the study, with four criteria: credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability.

RESULTS

The main theme identified was physical abuse as a familial routine. This abusive routine was sometimes perceived as normal and sometimes traumatic, with descriptions of fear and physical pain. The children addressed the various figures in this abusive routine. When these horrific daily experiences were elaborated on, the children often captured the sibling subsystem as a source of security, comfort and protection. Moreover, the children's language often communicated the siblings' bond, referring to "we" and "us." Within a few narratives, a split between the siblings was identified, which appeared to be a strategy of self-protection by going against their siblings.

CONCLUSION

The current findings join the recent accumulating evidence with respect to the centrality of the sibling subsystem in the experiences and consequences of child abuse. It is imperative to advance practitioners' knowledge and interventions to better adapt to the central role of the sibling subsystem in the context of child abuse.

Preventing child maltreatment: Key conclusions from a systematic literature review of prevention programs for practitioners

Child maltreatment (CM) is a worldwide social problem and there is a large consensus that its prevention is of crucial importance. The current literature review highlights CM prevention studies that target practitioners, with the aim of assessing the knowledge in this area, informing future efforts and benefiting the international task of mitigating CM. Specifically, the study presents key conclusions from prevention programs evaluated in peer-reviewed journals from the last decade selected using the PRISMA systematic literature review guidelines. Out of the 26 manuscripts that discussed prevention programs targeted at practitioners, 20 programs were identified. While sexual abuse prevention programs were the most common, followed by programs addressing general child maltreatment, only two studies addressed child physical abuse. More than a third of the prevention programs were interdisciplinary, while healthcare providers had the highest number of specifically tailored programs. The discussion addresses the considerable lack of detail in the relevant manuscripts and urges future efforts to further elaborate on necessary details to enable other researchers and practitioners to better assess and determine the congruence between child maltreatment research and prevention programs. Additionally, some methodological issues in the included manuscripts, such as the lack of control groups and the related challenges, are discussed.

Preadolescent Peer Sexual Abuse: A Systematic Literature Review

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a worldwide social problem which has received much attention from policy makers, researchers, and practitioners. A considerable portion of CSA research has focused on adult offenders, the result of which is that most of our existing knowledge regarding prevention and intervention has been based on abuse perpetrated by this population. The current literature review, by contrast, was designed to spotlight the phenomenon of preadolescent peer sexual abuse (PAPSA), focusing on children ages 12 and under, using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The results revealed scant empirical data, with only nine studies focusing on this phenomenon. As the basis of their investigations, most of the reviewed studies used definitions of sexual harassment among peers, rather than definitions of more severe forms of sexual abuse, and showed conflicting results depending on the ages and genders of the peers involved. In addition, prevention programs for peer sexual abuse/harassment were not targeted toward preadolescents. Additional findings indicated a lack of empirical knowledge with respect to core aspects such as victims' personal characteristics and subjective experience, the dynamic of the abuse, and the disclosure process. This systematic literature review emphasizes the need for an in-depth and thorough conceptualization and empirical examination of the PAPSA phenomenon and its unique characteristics.

How does COVID-19 impact intrafamilial child sexual abuse? Comparison analysis of reports by practitioners in Israel and the US

BACKGROUND

There is consensus in child sexual abuse (CSA) literature that intrafamilial child sexual abuse (IFCSA) has a tremendous impact on children and families while simultaneously creating challenges for practitioners. COVID-19 impacted countries worldwide and generated a global crisis resulting in impacts on daily life, however, it's effect on IFCSA is unknown.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to compare professional perspectives and experiences working with IFCSA with respect to the context of the COVID-19 pandemic within the United States and Israel.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Participants were therapeutic, child welfare and legal professionals, who provided services to children involved in IFCSA.

METHODS

This qualitative cross-cultural comparative study analyzes professional experiences of IFCSA during COVID-19 based on an open-ended questionnaire answered online, with 37 responses from the US and 23 responses from Israel.

RESULTS

Findings reveal mostly negative changes in the dynamics of IFCSA families during COVID-19, including financial, environmental, and emotional hardships, as well as some positive changes in the relationships among family members. In terms of professional interventions, concerns were raised that COVID-19 has been detrimental to the disclosure of IFCSA, with plummeting child abuse reports. Further, risk and benefits of transferring to internet based or telephonic therapeutic interventions were shared.

CONCLUSIONS

Governmental and community efforts are needed to develop a safety net of protective factors to reduce IFCSA risks and increase resiliency during the COVID-19 pandemic and future global crises. Moreover, enhanced strategies to accessing and supporting families remotely such as using technology could improve identification and response to IFCSA.

Invisible children and non-essential workers: Child protection during COVID-19 in Israel according to policy documents and media coverage

BACKGROUND

The protection of children from maltreatment has become extremely challenging during the COVID-19 pandemic. The public's gaze is focused on the urgent health crisis, while many children are at risk due to social isolation and reduced social services.

OBJECTIVE

Examine child protection in Israel during COVID-19, as portrayed in mainstream news media and government policy documents.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

The study analyzed all policy documents and mainstream media reports published in Israel from March to May 2020, during the initial mandatory nationwide quarantine.

METHODS

(1) Search of relevant articles in mainstream news websites; (2) Search of documents in official websites of relevant government ministries and agencies.

RESULTS

28 government policy documents and 22 media articles were found relevant. When examined chronologically, what stood out was the initial decision to shut down social services, including some of the residential care units for youth at risk, and declare social workers "non-essential". These decisions were revoked a few weeks into the quarantine, following persistent media pressure by child advocates, resulting in minor changes in policy.

CONCLUSION

Children were initially invisible to Israeli policymakers facing the pandemic, highlighting the centrality of advocates promoting children's rights and of mainstream news media in disseminating the discourse of protecting children from maltreatment, especially in times of crisis. Moreover, the study points to the heightened threat to at-risk children due to inadequate policies, and to the urgent need to develop child protection policies in order to avoid further risk in future global crises.

Invisible children and non-essential workers: Child protection during COVID-19 in Israel according to policy documents and media coverage

BACKGROUND

The protection of children from maltreatment has become extremely challenging during the COVID-19 pandemic. The public's gaze is focused on the urgent health crisis, while many children are at risk due to social isolation and reduced social services.

OBJECTIVE

Examine child protection in Israel during COVID-19, as portrayed in mainstream news media and government policy documents.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

The study analyzed all policy documents and mainstream media reports published in Israel from March to May 2020, during the initial mandatory nationwide quarantine.

METHODS

(1) Search of relevant articles in mainstream news websites; (2) Search of documents in official websites of relevant government ministries and agencies.

RESULTS

28 government policy documents and 22 media articles were found relevant. When examined chronologically, what stood out was the initial decision to shut down social services, including some of the residential care units for youth at risk, and declare social workers "non-essential". These decisions were revoked a few weeks into the quarantine, following persistent media pressure by child advocates, resulting in minor changes in policy.

CONCLUSION

Children were initially invisible to Israeli policymakers facing the pandemic, highlighting the centrality of advocates promoting children's rights and of mainstream news media in disseminating the discourse of protecting children from maltreatment, especially in times of crisis. Moreover, the study points to the heightened threat to at-risk children due to inadequate policies, and to the urgent need to develop child protection policies in order to avoid further risk in future global crises.