“It’s a Phenomenon in Our Community, a Phenomenon That Is Silenced”: Child Sexual Abuse and the Circles of Silence in the Jewish National Religious Community in Israel

This study focused on Jewish national religious educators in Israel by exploring their narratives surrounding coping with the CSA of their students, including the perceived silencing of the phenomena within the community and the desire to provide their students with the care they require. In-depth i...

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Main Author: Laura I. Sigad
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-12-01
Series:Social Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/13/1/26
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author Laura I. Sigad
author_facet Laura I. Sigad
author_sort Laura I. Sigad
collection DOAJ
description This study focused on Jewish national religious educators in Israel by exploring their narratives surrounding coping with the CSA of their students, including the perceived silencing of the phenomena within the community and the desire to provide their students with the care they require. In-depth interviews were conducted with 34 national religious educators, including teachers (<i>n</i> = 20), counselors (<i>n</i> = 4), and principals (<i>n</i> = 10), which were analyzed using a thematic approach. Three themes emerged in the findings: (1) a community in silence surrounding CSA, (2) the role of sex education in bridging between silence and CSA, and (3) educators’ experiences of breaking the silence by making their voices heard. The findings revealed that the participants experienced three circles of silencing surrounding CSA: silencing of their experience within their community, silencing of their students, and self-silencing. These circles affected the educators both personally and professionally. This study discusses how these circles of silence received three justifications: familial, religious, and personal. This study highlights the important role of Jewish national religious educators in identifying and leading interventions in CSA cases and the need for reflective, socio-religious, culturally based training alongside support for the educators to maintain their wellbeing when addressing CSA.
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spelling doaj.art-bf719956c997432fab3bbd6502e6144b2024-01-26T18:28:25ZengMDPI AGSocial Sciences2076-07602023-12-011312610.3390/socsci13010026“It’s a Phenomenon in Our Community, a Phenomenon That Is Silenced”: Child Sexual Abuse and the Circles of Silence in the Jewish National Religious Community in IsraelLaura I. Sigad0Faculty of Graduate Studies, Oranim College of Education, Tivon 3600600, IsraelThis study focused on Jewish national religious educators in Israel by exploring their narratives surrounding coping with the CSA of their students, including the perceived silencing of the phenomena within the community and the desire to provide their students with the care they require. In-depth interviews were conducted with 34 national religious educators, including teachers (<i>n</i> = 20), counselors (<i>n</i> = 4), and principals (<i>n</i> = 10), which were analyzed using a thematic approach. Three themes emerged in the findings: (1) a community in silence surrounding CSA, (2) the role of sex education in bridging between silence and CSA, and (3) educators’ experiences of breaking the silence by making their voices heard. The findings revealed that the participants experienced three circles of silencing surrounding CSA: silencing of their experience within their community, silencing of their students, and self-silencing. These circles affected the educators both personally and professionally. This study discusses how these circles of silence received three justifications: familial, religious, and personal. This study highlights the important role of Jewish national religious educators in identifying and leading interventions in CSA cases and the need for reflective, socio-religious, culturally based training alongside support for the educators to maintain their wellbeing when addressing CSA.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/13/1/26child sexual abuse (CSA)educators’ narratives of silencecircles of silenceJewish national religious
spellingShingle Laura I. Sigad
“It’s a Phenomenon in Our Community, a Phenomenon That Is Silenced”: Child Sexual Abuse and the Circles of Silence in the Jewish National Religious Community in Israel
Social Sciences
child sexual abuse (CSA)
educators’ narratives of silence
circles of silence
Jewish national religious
title “It’s a Phenomenon in Our Community, a Phenomenon That Is Silenced”: Child Sexual Abuse and the Circles of Silence in the Jewish National Religious Community in Israel
title_full “It’s a Phenomenon in Our Community, a Phenomenon That Is Silenced”: Child Sexual Abuse and the Circles of Silence in the Jewish National Religious Community in Israel
title_fullStr “It’s a Phenomenon in Our Community, a Phenomenon That Is Silenced”: Child Sexual Abuse and the Circles of Silence in the Jewish National Religious Community in Israel
title_full_unstemmed “It’s a Phenomenon in Our Community, a Phenomenon That Is Silenced”: Child Sexual Abuse and the Circles of Silence in the Jewish National Religious Community in Israel
title_short “It’s a Phenomenon in Our Community, a Phenomenon That Is Silenced”: Child Sexual Abuse and the Circles of Silence in the Jewish National Religious Community in Israel
title_sort it s a phenomenon in our community a phenomenon that is silenced child sexual abuse and the circles of silence in the jewish national religious community in israel
topic child sexual abuse (CSA)
educators’ narratives of silence
circles of silence
Jewish national religious
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/13/1/26
work_keys_str_mv AT lauraisigad itsaphenomenoninourcommunityaphenomenonthatissilencedchildsexualabuseandthecirclesofsilenceinthejewishnationalreligiouscommunityinisrael