Abstract:
There is a noticeably small amount of research available on child sexual abuse (CSA)
in many nations, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which creates many
difculties in ascertaining and addressing the true extent of this crime. Child sexual
abuse is an especially repulsive crime, a fact that sometimes makes it very challenging for governments to openly confront and efectively manage it. Despite child
sexual abuse afecting all societies, with victims and perpetrators coming from every
part of the social and economic spectrum, the many myths and misconceptions that
exist can distort the response of families, professionals working with children, and
governments. The situation is exacerbated when repressive socio-cultural mores that
shape laws and attitudes on gender, sex, marriage, and family honor, impede disclosure, and inhibit open discussion. All these interconnected factors are considered
in this analysis which attempts to uncover how UAE has been dealing with child
sexual abuse. The UAE is a signatory of the Convention of the Rights of the Child
and has recently taken steps to implement and enforce specifc rules and guidelines
on child’s rights. For example, Federal Law No. 3 of 2016 (‘Wadeema’s Law’) prescribes legal obligations for the mandatory reporting of any suspected cases of child
sexual abuse in UAE. This analysis provides an assessment of how some of the practical mechanisms in mandatory reporting can help to create an enabling environment
of prevention and intervention of child sexual abuse in the UAE. The lessons and
fndings can be useful for local citizens as well as other Arab, Middle-Eastern, and
Islamic nations as they attempt to prevent child abuse.