Due to cultural and linguistic misunderstandings, racism, and even homophobia, sexual abuse is frequently mishandled by professionals working with minority populations. Research and multiculturalism have led to advances in understanding sexual abuse in its various contexts. The complicated issues which surround such abuse, in nine different cultural settings, are explored in this book. The core of the text is a collection of nine original chapters by authors representing a variety of cultural groups, who are experts in treating sexual abuse among members of their group. Included in this cultural mix are African Americans, Puerto Ricans, Asians, Pacific Islanders, Filipino Americans, Cambodians, Jews, Anglo Americans, Seventh Day Adventists, gay males, and lesbians. Each culture-specific chapter presents the strengths and challenges of its cultural group in a solution-oriented approach, with the goal of providing a context for understanding the prevention, occurrence, detection, and recovery from sexual abuse. After discussing cultural norms, each chapter explores oppression issues that emerge in encounters with the social service system and how professionals can help families work to counteract this oppression. The book closes with an overview of the general promises and pitfalls of attending to culture when providing services for sexual abuse. Contains an index and approximately 330 references. (RJM)