Reconsidering the Unwanted Sexual Touching of Boys by Adults: An Ethnographic Study in Rural Cambodia

Abstract

The unwanted sexual touching of boys by adults is a form of child sexual abuse. However, the genital touching of boys may be culturally “normal,” with not all instances necessarily being “unwanted” or “sexual.” This study, set in Cambodia, explored the genital touching of boys and the local cultural constructions of it. It entailed ethnography, participant observation, and case studies involving 60 parents, family members, caregivers, and neighbors (18 men, 42 women) in 7 rural provinces and Phnom Penh. Informants’ views, along with their use of language, proverbs, sayings, and folklore were recorded. The combination of the emotional driver for touching a boy’s genitals and the physical acti..