Navigating the Labyrinth: Challenges Faced by Child Protection Officers in Polygamous Bedouin Families in Israel

ABSTRACT Polygamy is widespread in Israel's Bedouin population. Israeli law forbids polygamy, but Bedouin tradition and custom, as well as Islam—which conditions polygamy on just relations, physical and economic capability and maintenance of religious observance—allow a man to take more than one wife. This article presents the findings of an exploratory qualitative study of 18 child protection officers (CPOs) and social workers involved in parental custody allocation cases (GALs) employed by Israeli social affairs departments to work with the Bedouin minority. The study's aim is to describe the challenges they encounter in interventions regarding children at risk in polygamous families. These professionals encounter legal complexities, contend with minimal resources and lack tools suited to the unique needs of these children. The stigmatization of polygamous families by Israel's Jewish population and Arabs in the country's north adds another layer of complexity. All these obstacles delay efficient intervention strategies. The article emphasizes the importance of emotional treatment for these children who have grown up in polygamous families and the need for cultural sensitivity in interventions. It calls for a holistic approach that recognizes the various challenges and calls for a comprehensive reform to better protect and support children at risk in polygamous families. The findings are relevant to international social work practice because polygamy is practiced in many countries by members of some populations.