“I lived but I wasn’t alive”: Examining responses of formal systems to child sexual abuse as described in survivors’ testimonies to the Israeli Independent Public Inquiry

Abstract

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a prominent global issue with a multitude of negative health, social, and economic consequences. However, this abuse is often under-reported and misunderstood, alongside faults within the systems built to support CSA survivors. There has been a global effort to establish CSA inquiries investigating past incidents of CSA, using the findings to inform and reform policy and practice and pursue justice for CSA survivors. In 2020, The Israeli Independent Public Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse was founded, collecting 505 rich, diverse, and informative testimonies from adult survivors of CSA in Israel. The current study analyzes the 505 testimonies to explore the ways formal systems of support in Israel responded to CSA survivors and how these responses impacted survivors. Inductive thematic analysis was performed, yielding three main themes: 1) displays of how formal systems failed to respond to CSA, 2) mechanisms behind the failures of formal systems in their responses to CSA, and 3) consequences of the failures of formal systems to respond to CSA. This study demonstrates the tremendous impact formal systems’ responses can have on survivors, underscoring the urgent need for a systematic change in how CSA survivors are treated. Current systems have led to the violation of children’s rights, re-traumatization of survivors, and even discouraged survivors from seeking help after abuse. This study concludes that many adaptations must be made to formal systems’ current responses to CSA in Israel to improve support for CSA survivors, advance child protection, and recognize the unique needs of minority communities.