At the end of the Second World War, the ideological ‘Iron Curtain’ was dividing Europe
into the democratic west and the communist east. For almost half a century, countries
in the Eastern Bloc were virtually isolated from the democratic ‘outside world’.
Although over three decades have passed since the fall of communism in 1989, many
ex-communist states have yet to reconcile with their communist past. This may have
effects on how Romanians think about types of crime and how crime affects them
nowadays. The chapter concentrates upon views on child sexual abuse (CSA) in their
cultural and political contexts. It explores social constructions of communism in
Romania and their potential influence on ideas about CSA. Adopting a social
constructivist approach, the study recognises that knowledge is collectively constructed
and individually assimilated by learners. Therefore, it is assumed that reality, and the
‘realities of communism and CSA’, are shaped by the interactions between individuals,
society, and social world.