“We Need to Raise Awareness and Never Give Up”: Israeli Druze and Muslim Arab Kindergarten Teachers’ Proactivity When Facing the Sexual Abuse of Their Students

Abstract

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

“Today, I Say It’s Mine!”: Professional Identity Construction among Jewish and Arab School Counselors Coping with CSA Disclosure in Israel

“…Despite a gradual societal shift towards acknowledging CSA's gravity and the importance of sex education [88,89], integrating these elements into their professional identity poses a substantial cultural challenge. Thus, consistent with prior research among Arab educators in Israel [13,46,50], Arab school counselors strive to strike a balance between acting as agents of social change and adhering to their cultural sensitivities. Yet, in instances where compromise is unattainable, they adopt a more proactive stance, positioning themselves as pivotal community figures driving change.…”

“…In Israel, differences between cultural subgroups significantly affect communities' interventions in cases of CSA (e.g., [46,[49][50][51]). Among the Israeli Jewish population, which constitutes approximately 74% of the total population, families often align with Western norms, featuring democratic relations and permissive parenting [48].…”

“…The current study focused on the experiences of secular Jewish and Arab school counselors. The experiences of the other cultural groups included in the research project have been analyzed and addressed in the authors' additional studies, from a multicultural perspective as well as community-specific analysis (e.g., [10,13,46,47,[49][50][51]61]).…”

The Influence of Muslim and Christian Destinations on Tourists’ Behavioural Intentions and Risk Perceptions

“…Central to the perception of risks at a destination are those cultural and socioeconomic characteristics that revolve around religious values and customs [23]. Along this line, various cross-cultural studies have found that common cultural values may raise common fears and other emotions, thereby deterring tourists from traveling to some destinations [23]. Some studies have found differences in risk perceptions across individuals with different religious beliefs, i.e., Catholics, Protestants and Jews [24].…”

“Pay Attention! Pay Attention! Pay Attention!!!”: The Pivotal Role of Educators and the Educational System as Experienced by Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse

“…For example, some principals have been found to take an active leadership role, while others take a passive avoidance approach [38], and some act in solitude, while others share the responsibility with colleagues [30]. Among teachers, perceptions of their power, control, responsibility, and ability to act in regard to CSA cases have been found to diverge based on contextual factors, such as religion and socio-cultural and socio-political positions [7,39]. Previous positive or negative experiences may also deter or encourage educators to report suspected abuse [40].…”