Zeitschrift für Pädagogik

"It’s much more of a family issue than a legal one"

Examining the decision-making process of forensic interviewers in cases of sibling sexual abuse

Zusammenfassung

Sibling sexual abuse (SSA) is defined as a range of childhood sexual behaviors that do not meet the criteria of age-appropriate curiosity. Despite being perhaps the most prevalent and longest-term form of sexual abuse within the family - and widely seen as having the worst impact on those involved - SSA is the most underreported and undertreated. This study is designed to further our knowledge of this understudied phenomenon by delving into the decision-making processes of practitioners treating SSA families. The decision-making process involved in forensic interviews was analysed in 42 cases of SSA. A qualitative thematic analysis addressed the forensic interviewers´ assessment of the children and their families and the decisions they made about child referrals for further treatment. The findings highlight the complexity of practitioners´ decision-making in SSA cases and the need to enhance practitioners´ knowledge and practice with respect to SSA, specifically where considerable lacunas remain: lack of process standardization, and misunderstanding of family and abuse dynamics. Implications for research, policy, and practice are discussed in the unique cultural context of Israeli society.

Keywords: Sibling Sexual Abuse, Child Sexual Abuse, Professional Intervention, Decision-Making, Qualitative Methodology