History of Past Sexual Abuse in Married Observant Jewish Women

Objective: The authors examined instances of past sexual abuse and related demographic characteristics in the self-reports of a select group of married observant Jewish women. Methods: Orthodox Jewish married women (N=380) ages 19 to 58 responded to advertisements asking them to complete an anonymou...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The American journal of psychiatry 2007-11, Vol.164 (11), p.1700-1706
Main Authors: Yehuda, Rachel, Friedman, Michelle, Rosenbaum, Talli Y., Labinsky, Ellen, Schmeidler, James
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Biological and medical sciences
Community
Domestic Violence - psychology
Domestic Violence - statistics & numerical data
Education
Female
Health Surveys
Humans
Jews - psychology
Jews - statistics & numerical data
Judaism
Judaism - psychology
Male
Marriage - psychology
Marriage - statistics & numerical data
Medical sciences
Mental health care
Middle Aged
Patient Acceptance of Health Care
Prevalence
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Rape - psychology
Rape - statistics & numerical data
Religion
Religion and Psychology
Sex crimes
Sex Offenses - psychology
Sex Offenses - statistics & numerical data
Sexual Behavior - psychology
Sexual Behavior - statistics & numerical data
Spouse Abuse - psychology
Spouse Abuse - statistics & numerical data
Surveys and Questionnaires
Women
Womens history
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Summary:Objective: The authors examined instances of past sexual abuse and related demographic characteristics in the self-reports of a select group of married observant Jewish women. Methods: Orthodox Jewish married women (N=380) ages 19 to 58 responded to advertisements asking them to complete an anonymous questionnaire about sexual experiences, including sexual abuse. Results: Sexual abuse was reported by 26% of the respondents surveyed, with 16% reporting abuse occurring by the age of 13. More ultra-Orthodox Jews reported abuse than modern-Orthodox Jews. Women who were raised observant reported significantly less childhood sexual abuse than those who became observant later in life. Sexual abuse was associated with increased treatment-seeking for depression, marital counseling, or other emotional or psychological problems. Conclusion: While observant Jewish women live in a culture defined by a high degree of adherence to specific laws of conduct, including rules designed to regulate sexual contact, sexual abuse of various types still exists among them.
ISSN:0002-953X
1535-7228
DOI:10.1176/appi.ajp.2007.06122030