Cultural protection against traumatic stress: traditional support of children exposed to the ritual of female genital cutting (2014)
This study is a Exploratory research regarding All FGM/C with the following characteristics:
Author(s): Jon-Håkon Schultz,Inger-Lise Lien
FGM/C Type(s): All
Health area of focus: None.
Objective: Explores the factors addressed in folk psychology in The Gambia for protecting the girl-child from the potential traumatic stress of female genital cutting (FGC
Study Population: professional circumcisers,Mothers,Women
Findings: The findings indicate that the girls have largely managed to handle the potentially traumatic event of FGC. The event is placed in a meaningful system of understanding,and the stress is dealt with in a traditional way that to a great extent follows empirically-based and evidence-based principles of crisis intervention. However,the approach tends to be culturally encoded,based on the local cultural belief system. This puts circumcised individuals in a potentially vulnerable position if they are living outside the homeland’s supportive cultural context,with consequences for psychological and culturally competent FGC health care in exile.
Geographical coverage
Region(s):Northern Europe
Country(ies):Norway