Child abuse and neglect among Arab Palestinians in Israel

The lecture deals with the problem of child abuse and neglect, among Palestinian’s boys and girls living in Israel. The lecture will expand on the definition of the problem, its incidence, its risk factors, consequences and... [ view full abstract ]

The lecture deals with the problem of child abuse and neglect, among Palestinian’s boys and girls living in Israel. The lecture will expand on the definition of the problem, its incidence, its risk factors, consequences and ways of coping and looking for help, according to the available literature.
Definition – we shall emphasize the definition of the familial – cultural and socio-political context of the problem. We will try to explain how both, the cultural values and the socio-political reality of the Palestinian society in Israel, preserve and allow the vulnerability.
Incidence – We shall explain the high incidence of abuse in children, according to the international literature that examined the high prevalence of the problem among minority groups – native. We will focus on factors such as exclusion from the majority group, the loss of land, traditional culture, poverty, racism, alcohol and drug addiction and the legitimacy given to men to determine the rights of women and childrens².
Risk Factors – We will represent the three levels of the risk factors and try to explain their impact on the problem: Socio-political factors that relate to poverty, unemployment and discrimination in providing services ; Family risk factors refer to variables such as gender, parental age, parental education, family income, living environment, religious affiliation ; and Personal risk factors relating to the child's status, rights and obligations.
Implications & Coping Strategies – We will describe the implications related to the context of the Palestinian society, such as "disgrace", "keeping the secret", "family honor", "keeping virginity", "silencing the victim" and "honor killings". Also we’ll explain the socio-political motives which prevent families from reporting to law enforcement agencies.
*************************
Blagg, H. (2000). Crisis Intervention in Aboriginal Family Violence: Strategies and Models for Western Australia. Canberra: Partnerships against domestic violence.