world as well. However, certain particularities of the Jewish community make children’s sexual abuse to be reported less, mainly because those who do it will suffer the consequences of being blamed or ostracized by the group. And this is not the worst case. Survivors of the sexual abuse often report being anxious and depressive. Many mental health problems could arise as a consequence of sexual abuse, problems that might leave a mark on you for life.
Especially in the cases when reporting the abuser is not something that is encouraged and you are not supported but blamed. Even though the Jewish community might promote that within their communities these kinds of abuses are rare, this is not exactly the case. Many students now study the problem of child sexual abuse, not only in the Jewish community but in other communities as well. But which exactly is the problem?
The Pressure on the Survivor
There are so many cases of people who were sexually abused as children and had not reported the incident. This is because there is the pressure many survivors are feeling. Of course, this is not specific only to the Jewish community, but it could be the ingredient that could endorse this norm of not reporting the abuse that exists within this community. Many survivors do not report the abuse because they have witnessed cases in which this happened and the consequences that followed along.
Many survivors feel guilty and ashamed by the abuse, so they choose to keep it secret. They feel that, maybe, no one will understand what they went through. Survivors might feel alone and confused and not talking about what happened seems like a good idea because this means that it will go away and you will move on. In many cases, the abuser is threatening the survivor, which makes the entire experience even more burdensome.
There is pressure on the survivor to not share their child sexual abuse experience, which makes the Jewish community look like the best community to be part of. Well, this is not accurate at all.
The Rules and Norms of the Jewish Community
Many rules exist within the Jewish community and that prevent survivors of child sexual abuse to share their experiences. These rules were made to make the entire community stronger and less exposed to external dangers. This is why it is forbidden to report a fellow Jewish to the authorities. Survivors cannot come forward about their experiences because they are not allowed to.
Moreover, if you still want to do this, you need to talk with a rabbi before doing it. And it is often the case when the story of a child sexual abuse stops at a rabbi. The attacker is not reported to the authorities and no one knows about the abuse.
However, many people still want to come forward and choose to break these internal laws. In those cases, the entire family of the survivor is ostracized and excluded from the community. But this does not stop here.
The Jewish community that has excluded the entire family of the survivor gathers all their forces to make the family look bad. There were cases when the community has funded a competitor of the survivor’s family business. Children are expelled from schools. Families are not allowed to be part of the community’s events. And all this because they have reported child sexual abuse and have turned against one of their own.
Essay Examples on Child Sexual Abuse
The problem of child sexual abuse is an important one. Even though all Jewish communities avoid taking part in studies and sharing their opinion about the community, many studies show that the rate of child sexual abuse is just as high as in the rest of the world. The exact numbers cannot be estimated, as there are few Jewish participants in studies.
However, getting an education and being a student in a college and university come with many tasks and assignments. Students might be asked to write essays about this poignant problem. A lot of child abuse essays are written by students and point to some crucial issues. The Jewish community relies heavily on its image within the community. Because marriages are arranged by certain members of the community, you need to make a good impression to be matched with another family. The social and economic status of the family is very important and this is why many families want to protect them at any cost.
Ending Note
The problem of child sexual abuse is a crucial one and you can see this by the number of essay examples of this topic. The Jewish community is a closed one, one that only adds more to the fear, shame, and guilt survivors are feeling. There are certain particularities of the Jewish community that make reporting the abuse even more challenging. Students often are asked to write on this topic, and you can find any essay sample that explores it and uncovers some of the rules and norms of this community.
Bio lines: Vendy Adams is a content writer. She writes about topics such as sexual abuse, sociology, and mental health. Vendy wants to help survivors of child abuse have a normal life.
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