Cultural Understandings of Child Sexual Abuse from Aid Workers and Parents at the Guatemala City Dump Community

Abstract

This study documents Guatemalan aid workers' and parents' definitions of child sexual abuse (CSA), understandings of indicators and etiology of CSA, and training needs. Focus groups were conducted with aid workers and parents living in the Guatemala City dump. Conceptualizations of CSA included rape, contact molestation, and noncontact molestation. Aid workers and parents identified emotional and behavioral symptoms as indicators of CSA. Parents reported systemic understandings of CSA, such as poverty and the cycle of violence. Parents requested education on positive parenting; aid workers wanted training about working effectively with the legal system. Prevention and intervention implications are discussed.

Keywords:

• child sexual abuse
• Central America
• definitions of CSA
• symptoms of CSA
• cultural understandings of CSA