Racial, Ethnic, and Cultural Factors of Childhood Sexual Abuse: a Selected Review of the Literature

Considerable research on childhood sexual abuse exists; however, few studies have examined the role of race, ethnicity, and culture in such abuse. Past investigations have focused almost exclusively on several ethnic groups and races, namely whites, blacks, and Hispanics, without much delineation of cultural subgroup differences. Additionally, much of the existing research is conflicting and lacks consistency in the use of ethnic and racial terms and identification of cultural variations among the major groups. This paper will summarize and analyze the literature on childhood sexual abuse in relation to racial, ethnic, cultural, and other factors relevant to African American, Hispanic, and Asian populations. A critique of the current weaknesses in the literature, including contradictions and recommendations for future research are also presented.