Structure.

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

The conceptual framework of the proposed study is that a whole-of-community approach – across the continuum of prevention to treatment – is necessary for better protecting CALD children from risk of sexual harm.

FOR PARENTS/GUARDIANS - Education for carers in CALD communities needs to be about:

• The prevalence of child sexual abuse (i.e. that it is high across cultures).

• Likely perpetrators of child sexual abuse (i.e. those that are known to the victim rather than unknown strangers).

• Myths about child sexual abuse (i.e. false beliefs that shift culpability/blame to the victim).

• The importance of believing a child’s disclosure of child sexual abuse (to help mediate the effects on mental ill-health).

• The importance of granting permission for children to take part in school-based prevention programs about child sexual abuse (i.e. despite cultural norms to not discuss any sexual matters).

• The importance of seeking formal help for possible ensuing mental illnesses (e.g. counsellors, social workers, psychologists).

• The role of governments in protecting child safety.

FOR SCHOOLS - Education for teachers supporting prevention programs designed for children needs to be about:

• Child sexual abuse (i.e. high cross-cultural prevalence, likely perpetrators being known, and myths that shift blame to the victim).

• Self-protective behaviours (even against adults that children will have been raised to have utmost deference for).

• Who to disclose to when seeking formal and informal help.

• Practice protocols following disclosure of child sexual abuse (e.g. the importance of supportive responses to disclosure, acknowledgment of racism as a unique barrier to disclosure for CALD victims, and awareness of the utmost importance of family reputation in CALD communities).

FOR SERVICE ORGANISATIONS - Education for service providers needs to be about:

• Child sexual abuse (i.e. high cross-cultural prevalence, likely perpetrators known, and myths that shift blame from the perpetrator).

• Cultural knowledge (i.e. awareness of the importance/relevance of supportive responses to disclosure, and racism and family reputation as barriers to disclosure).

• Cultural competency (i.e. having an ethnically diverse workforce including in management positions, using interpreters trained in matters relating to sexual assault, providing regular staff training, using a ‘multicultural framework’ within the organisation, and mandatorily collecting ethnicity-related data).

• The pros and cons of medicalising mental illness as a result of child sexual abuse over the use of a sociological framework.

• The importance of encouraging additional self-help (and group therapy with other victims/survivors or family therapy with non-offending members if helpful).

METHODOLOGY

The proposed study was to be carried out in three stages. Two of them (Stages 1 and 3) would involve a longitudinal follow-up component, and all stages were to use a mix of question types (i.e. quantitative surveys and qualitative open-ended responses). Ethics approval would be obtained from a university Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC), and the Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, and Victoria Departments of Education (these four states were selected as study sites due to their high cultural diversity).

• Stage 1 (2018–2020) was partly funded by Griffith University ($5K of $50K project). It involved training service providers such as counsellors, social workers, and psychologists on key issues relevant to CALD children, families, and communities so they were more likely to deliver a ‘culturally competent’ service (HREC Approval No. 2018/953).

• Stage 2 (dates TBD) will occur if funding is secured. It will involve educating CALD parents/guardians about child sexual abuse through an online community outreach program that is privately/anonymously accessible so they will be better able to protect their children with accurate information.

• Stage 3 (dates TBD) will occur if funding is secured. It will involve comparing a standard child sexual abuse prevention program in schools to one that has been modified to be culturally informed and sensitive so school staff will have better protocols when CALD children disclose abuse.

More on Stage 2: Raising awareness about child sexual abuse among parents/guardians in CALD communities

One aim of Stage 2 is to create a video with information about:

• The definition of child sexual abuse, its prevalence across the world, and who is most likely to be a perpetrator.

• Common myths about child sexual abuse, how they make parents disbelieve their victimised child, and the long-term impacts of not being believed.

• Racism and cultural taboos stopping victims and their families from seeking counselling - which could be beneficial for reducing the negative long-term impacts of sexual assault.

  • Racism is about fearing your entire ethnic community will be negatively stereotyped by the services you access.

  • Cultural taboos are about all sexual matters including abuse not being socially acceptable to discuss publicly and not wanting to tarnish the family’s name.

• ‘Misogynoir’ (racist sexism)

  • Highly patriarchal societies must take responsibility for cultural norms that permit family honour being prioritised over the well-being of victims of sexual assault

  • Living in a white-majority country makes that even harder to do because it racialises sexism

  • With slow, persistent, and self-determined effort fear can be overcome and a harmful status quo can be seriously challenged

• The importance of letting children receive education from their school when child sexual abuse prevention programs are implemented, so they can recognise predatory behaviour (known as ‘grooming’) and know who to contact for support and protection from re/victimisation.

• The fact that child sexual abuse is a criminal offence. It is not ‘normal’ behaviour.

• The fact that Australia takes its responsibility for child protection very seriously which may differ from other countries and cause further trauma to families when there is misunderstanding about the role and interventions of statutory departments.

This video will be anonymously accessible. Viewers can choose to complete an anonymous survey about information they found useful.

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom” Anaïs Nin