Citation

Braithwaite J. J. Child Sex. Abus. 2018; 27(6): 589-611.

Affiliation

Tribal Law and Policy Institute , West Hollywood , CA , USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/10538712.2018.1491914

PMID

30004819

Abstract

Though there is evidence linking the history of colonialism and oppression of Indigenous people to the high rates of rape and child sexual abuse experienced by this population today, it is less understood how colonial processes, past and present, condition the decision to disclose or report victimization. Drawing on a survivorship storytelling study of rural Alaska Native survivors of child sexual abuse, this paper underscores the importance of centering colonialism in understanding the culture of silence surrounding sexual victimization among Indigenous people.

RESULTS show that reasons for non-disclosure are quite embedded within larger social, historical and political themes of colonialism, oppression, and marginalization. Implications for policy and praxes are discussed, as well as a broader mandate of social change to remove barriers to disclosure.

Language: en

Keywords

American Indian or Alaska Native; colonialism; cultural issues; culture of silence; sexual abuse disclosure; storytelling