“I Never Said Anything. I Didn’t Tell Anyone. What Would I Tell?” Adults’ Perspectives on Disclosing Childhood Sibling Sexual Behavior and Abuse in the Orthodox Jewish Communities

Abstract

Sibling sexual harmful dynamics (SSHD) is a term used, in this study, to refer to childhood sexual behaviors that are inconsistent with age-appropriate curiosity, including sibling sexual abuse (SSA). Although SSA is a prevalent and long-lasting form of intrafamilial sexual abuse, it is the least reported, studied, and treated. This study aims to deepen the understanding of the disclosure process of this phenomenon in the Israeli Orthodox Jewish society, as perceived by those involved. Participants were adults from the Orthodox communities in Israel who experienced sexual interactions/abuse with one or more of their siblings. This qualitative constructivist-grounded theory study was based on semi-structured interviews with 24 adults from the Israeli Orthodox Jewish communities. Seven barriers to disclosure were identified and organized into three main categories: intrapersonal, including denial of the acts, guilt, and shame; interpersonal, including the sibling relationship and perceiving the sexual acts as routine; and cultural, including lack of sexual knowledge, the concept of modesty, and marriage prospects. In addition, we highlight the intersectionality between the different contexts of the SSHD. This study explored the barriers to disclosing SSHD in the siblings’ context and the context of the Jewish Orthodox communities. The findings contribute to understanding the unique aspects of the disclosure, as expressed in religious and cultural contexts, the sibling context, and their intersectionality. Cultural and religious sensitivity is crucial for practitioners, especially as issues of sexuality and sexual understanding stem from the related norms and values.