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Cultural barriers to the disclosure of child sexual abuse in Asian communities: Listening to what women say
Gilligan, Philip A. Akhtar, Shamim
Gilligan, Philip A.
Akhtar, Shamim
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2006-12
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� 2005 The Author. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The British Association of Social Workers. All rights reserved. Full-text reproduced in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy.
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Abstract
There is apparent under?reporting of child sexual abuse in Britain�s Asian communities and a varied capacity amongst professionals to respond with cultural competence. Professional approaches originate in cultural contexts that are often different from those of most British Asians. If the proportion of children and non?abusing carers from Asian communities who access relevant services is to increase, professionals need to develop better understandings of cultural imperatives that determine behaviour in those communities. Consultations with Asian women in Bradford reinforce the view that culturally competent practice and respectful dialogue are essential to the protection of children. They also highlight a number of recurring themes. Members of Asian communities are aware of child sexual abuse, they recognize that the issue needs to be addressed by all communities, and they report that many of those affected within their own communities have found it difficult to access relevant services. These consultations, like reports of similar work elsewhere, indicate that difficulties arising from Asian women�s fears about how agencies will respond are frequently compounded by the impact of cultural imperatives arising from izzat (honour/respect), haya (modesty) and sharam (shame/embarrassment), which have a considerable influence on how many will behave.
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Gilligan PA and Akhtar S(2006) Cultural barriers to the disclosure of child sexual abuse in Asian communities: Listening to what women say. British Journal of Social Work. 36(8): 1361-1377.
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