Sexual Abuse in Nine North American Cultures: Treatment and Prevention

324 Pages·1995·17.45 MB·English

by  Lisa Aronson Fontes

Sexual Abuse
in Nine
North American
Cultures
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5mml Abuse
in Nine
Nor th Amer ican
Cu It u r es
Treatment and Prevention
Lisa Aronson Fontes
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Foreword by €liana Gil
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SAGE Publications
International Educational and Professional Publisher
Thousand Oaks London New Delhi
Copyright 0 1995 by Sage Publications, Inc.
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Printed in the United States of America
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Main entry under title:
Sexual abuse in nine North American cultures: treatment and prevention /
edited by Lisa Aronson Fontes.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-8039-5434-4 (acid-free paper).-ISBN 0-8039-5435-2 (pbk.:
acid-free paper)
1. Child sexual abuse-United States-Cross-cultural studies.
1. Fontes, Lisa Aronson.
HV6570.2.B74 199.5
362.7'62'09734~20 95-510s
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
95 96 97 98 99 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Sage Production Editor: Diana E. Axelsen
Sage Typesetter: Andrea D. Swanson
This book is dedicated to the child
whose first words to me were,
“It is hard to be a 5-year-old named Jamie.”
I hope you are safe.

Contents
Foreword ix
Eliana Gil
Preface xv
Lisa Aronson Fontes
Introduction 1
Lisa Aronson Fontes
1. African Americans and Sexual Child Abuse 11
Veronica D. Abney and Ronnie Priest
2. Puerto Ricans and Sexual Child Abuse 31
Lillian Comas-D Saz
3. Asian, Pacific Island, and Filipino Americans and
Sexual Child Abuse 67
Amy Okamura, Patricia Heras, and Linda Wong-Kerberg
4. Cambodians and Sexual Child Abuse 97
Mary Scully, Theanvy Kuoch, and Richard A. Miller
5. Jews and Sexual Child Abuse 128
Joan M. Featherman
6. Anglo Americans and Sexual Child Abuse 156
Marian Schmidt
7. Seventh Day Adventists and Sexual Child Abuse 176
Catherine Taylor and Lisa Aronson Fontes
8. Gay Males and Sexual Child Abuse 200
Doug Arey
9. Lesbians and Sexual Child Abuse 236
Maryellen Butke
10. Culturally Informed Interventions
for Sexual Child Abuse 259
Lisa Aronson Fontes
References 267
Index 289
About the Editor 297
About the Contributors 299
Foreword
ELIANA GIL
I experienced my first quandary about race and class at the age of seven,
when I was living with my extended family in Guanyaquil, Ecuador. The
circumstances remain vivid as I describe them now. Chavita was a girl my age
whose family had brought her to be raised by my grandmother. Chavita’s
family had limited resources and felt that she had a better chance of getting
good care and an education with our family. In return, she would lead a life
of service like her parents, grandparents, and extended family. Because she
was so young, her job was to be my maid, my playmate, and my companion.
I did not realize there were strict boundaries imposed on my relationship
with Chavita. So, when she cried because she missed her parents, I would
comfort her; when she was frightened, I would reassure her. Slowly our
friendship deepened, and I grew to love her as the sister I did not have. Chavita
always seemed to sense what I did not: that others would disapprove intensely
of our friendship. Often I noticed her withdraw when others observed our play
from afar. During the night, we waited until my grandmother opened the door
to check that we were asleep; then Chavita would climb into my bed. Before
falling asleep, we often talked into the early hours of the morning; but Chavita
always woke up in time to get on the floor where she was supposed to sleep.
One morning my grandmother found her sleeping with me and yanked her
out of bed to be awakened by a harsh beating. “Who do you think you are?”
she demanded. She threw Chavita out of the room and scolded me for allowing
that “filthy child” to get into my bed. When I protested that I had asked Chavita
ix