Culture, Religion, and Spirituality in Understanding Child Maltreatment: Perceptions of Parents and Professionals in the Ultra-Orthodox Community

In this chapter, we highlight the fundamental role of culture, religion, and spirituality in understanding the definition, etiology, prevention, and treatment of child maltreatment in religious segregated communities. To this end, we present and discuss the findings and emerging insights of our qualitative studies on ultra-Orthodox communities in Israel, with a focus on the two major phenomena of child sexual abuse (CSA) and corporal punishment and their unique attributes, dynamics, and complexities in ultra-Orthodox communities. We offer practical implications that should be taken into consideration when working with the ultra-Orthodox community in order to promote the safety and wellbeing of abused children and their families.