Abstract: Understanding the Impact of Childhood Sexual Abuse on Women's Sexuality

Studies have shown a clear correlation between childhood sexual assault (CSA) and negative sexual experiences later in life. Of relevance to the criminal justice system, these later forms of sexual victimization include sexual assault and sex work. The relationship between CSA and adverse sexual development is a correlation between two things, not a direct pathway from cause to effect. While survivors of sexual assault are at a higher risk of experiencing these later forms of victimization, this correlation represents a highly complex process involving a wide range of mediating factors and the intersections between them. Any experience of sexual assault is highly traumatic. Survivors of CSA, however, represent a unique population, because their trauma occurs near the start of the human developmental process and therefore alters all development thereafter.

Sexual abuse can be hard to define because of the many different forms it can take on, the different levels of frequency, the variation of circumstances that can occur. Until a child is fit to function as a self-supporting and informed adult, we have an obligation not to take advantage of their lack of power or protection to inflict damage, or demand submission to acts that are not in their own best interests within. Children are being abused every day in different countries. While commonly accepted wisdom had been that childhood sexual abuse results in long lasting negative outcomes.

While negative effects manifest differently in females than males, the abuse is equally damaging to both genders. In my experience, most male CSA victims are riddled with feelings of guilt and shame. Most often their abuse was perpetrated by a trusted male during a critical time in development. Although the sexual contact was unsolicited and unwanted, their body had a physiological response to stimulation. This confusion often contributes to the victim’s belief that the abuse was somehow their fault, therefore “causing an unwillingness to admit to being victimized, and difficulty making negative attributions regarding an otherwise positive person” Ondersma et al.). Rind’s utilization of a college sample excludes the aforementioned male CSA victims. Since their maladaptive behaviors often lead to addiction, delinquency, and poor academic performance, males who suffered more maladaptive effects are very unlikely to be included in a college sample. Therefore, Rind’s findings can’t be accurately generalized to the majority

Denov, Myriam S. 2004. "The Long-Term Effects of Child Sexual Abuse by Female Perpetrators: A

Many people can say that they have either a good or a bad relationship with their family. There are reasons that lead up to what a person’s answer could possibly be. Reasons could include the way they were raised, major events in a family’s history, and how they were treated during their childhood. Suchitra Bhandari et al wanted to question how childhood sexual abuse could affect family characteristics and possibly the long-term effects it had on a population of people. Their study was to find a correspondence with how family characteristics and bonds with each other would be affected if someone was sexually abused as a child. The authors also wanted to know if the people that were sexually abused as a child had any long-term effects such as feeling lonely, or having a sexual attitude whenever they were older. A history of child sexual abuse (CSA) has been associated with high rates of psychological problems in clinical and non-clinical populations (Browne & Finkelhor, 1986; Cahill, Llewelyn & Pearson, 1991; Davis & Petretic-Jackson, 2000; Putnam, 2003; Tice, Whittenburg, Baker, & Lemmey, 2001). Child Sexual Abuse can be defined as another form of child abuse in which an adult uses a child for sexual stimulation or actiivities. Every family is different in their own way when it comes to the characteristics. A healthy family relationship provides the support that one may need in a critical time. The authors

Victims of sexual assault suffer from a wide variety of mental and emotional issues throughout their lives as a result of the experience. Results can range from depression, anger, feelings of loneliness, and difficulty when trying to formulate relationships of trust (Hyde 45). Victims experience a wide variety of psychological issues as a result of sexual crimes, which they will have to carry with them throughout their entire lives. Also, “Psychological problems can start later in life with changes in behavior- vague fears, feeling unprotected and helpless, nightmares, bedwetting, sleeping problems, fear to loss parents approval/love, need to please others, poor self esteem, anger, depression, withdrawal from activities, daydreaming, difficulty concentrating, behavior problems” (Hyde 47).

It discusses the different ways to treat children. Not only that but it also argues that there are different forms of sexual abuse. This source does not compare to other sources that we have gather because this source explains various ways to treat children. In the other sources, it discussed the outcomes of the abuse. The source is quite useful for our project. This source will fit perfectly with our research because in our project we will like to implement ways to treat sexual abuse. I believe this source will help us gather such information to add unto our project.

The effects of childhood sexual abuse carry on with the children forever. To what extent and to what effect does abuse have on children during adulthood? What are the main issues that adults have been abused suffer from in adulthood? Do they have more of a physical issue with preforming with their partner in the bedroom or do they have more of a mental block due to their trauma? The world had been asking these questions for far too long and we need answers on how helping the children of our world. The questions that have been stated have been answered through the two articles that will be summarized below.

This paper will examine the impact of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) on women’s sexual behavior in adulthood. Childhood sexual abuse has been associated with a plethora of physical and emotional symptoms in women. It has been noted that there is a significant relationship between this maltreatment and the development of abnormal sexual behavior. Some women who have been abused as children are suffering from lack of sexual desire, emotional distress, sexual dysfunction, or engage in risky sexual behavior as they become adults. This paper has two purposes: (1) to provide a broad overview of the research on long-term effects of childhood sexual abuse on mental and physical health and (2) encourage counselors and therapists alike to seek knowledge of this issue and in turn provide victims of CSA with effective methods to overcome and deal with any long-term issues of childhood sexual abuse.

Not only can this result in self harm but also a lifestyle of homosexuality. Richard Garson is a training and supervising analyst who wrote a January 30, 2011 article called, Talking about Sexuality on Abused Boys and who They Become. Richard Garson did an investigation on the question of whether mentally and sexually abused childhoods increase the likelihood of same sex relationships. This investigation concluded, “Findings from this investigation provide tentative support for a sexual relationship between childhood sexual abuse and same sex sexual relationships, but this relationship appeared only for men. That is, men with histories of childhood sexual abuse were more likely than men in a control group to report same sex sexual partnerships” (Garson 1). Although this investigation only clarifies for men it still shows that an abused childhood can be the underlining factor of why one chose this lifestyle. This investigation also stated, “A physically abused childhood can cause a same sex relationship but also a mind transition. Nevertheless, a heterosexual boy is likely to doubt himself, wondering why he was chosen by a man for sex. A homosexual boy may feel rushed into considering himself gay, or may hate his homosexuality because he believes it was caused by his abuse” (Garson 1). Tavaun Moore an openly gay male was interviewed and asked how being molested affected him as a child. In Tavaun’s answer he stated, “As much pain as being raped and molested caused me I look at

“The National Centre on Child Abuse and Neglect (NCCAN) describes sexual abuse as contacts or interactions between a child and an adult when the child is being used for the sexual stimulation of the adult” (Kempe & Kempe; 1987 in Schoeman; 2013: 63). This conceptualisation finds relevance in Tina’s case as she is used for her step brother’s stimulation and benefit for sexual pleasure. Sexual abuse has four traumatic impacts in a child’s life; these are discussed from a clinical and socio-cultural view. Finkelhor and Browne (1985) came up with a conceptualization that could be used in research and treatment of sexual abuse victims. This is targeting people in pastoral roles away from the family unit where children are exposed to these stressors; in this case Tina confiding in her teacher is the first step to acknowledging teachers as social activists. These are labelled as the four traumagenic dynamics and they are impacts that alter children’s cognitive and emotional orientation to the world and create trauma by distorting children’s self-concept, world view and effective capacities (1985).

An article written about the effects of sexual abuse in accordance with male victims, claims: “[t]hree perspectives of early family relationships and attachment theory, developmental psychopathology, and trauma theory provide a conceptual understanding as to why some victims are vulnerable to the effects of sexual abuse while others appear resilient to it.” Although the study's main objective is to understand the developmental effects of male CSA survivors, it also notes that the majority of the data collected about the psychological well being of the sample is also representative of female CSA survivors. In a similar study on the repercussions of sexual abuse in male victims, Scott Eastman depicts a table simply explaining the process of coping, or the problems tied to CSA. Much like a story line, there is a beginning a middle and an end after the initial incident, but not all survivors reach the stages of completion and often times face difficulties coping. In the middle stage of the process, is distraction, obsessive review. These are symptoms tied to PTSD, defined as a disorder which a traumatic event causes flashbacks, nightmares, and uncontrollable thoughts about the event. It may reasonably be concluded that the obsessive thoughts are tied to PTSD because reviewing the traumatic experience may give the illusion of understanding to the survivor. In the final Stage of the process, following acceptance, is

Every year thousands of children are abused. This abuse can be physical, emotional or sexual in nature. All forms of abuse are wrong, all forms of abuse are harmful, but childhood sexual abuse can cause major emotional and physical harm in our adolescents. Before we can properly treat these victims we must first have a solid grasp of how and why sexual abuse occurs, the typical effects of the abuse and how the abuse changes the child's stages of development.

Feeling betrayed and powerless is something that a child should never have to feel. Children normally feels this way because of the person that is taking care of them lied, caused harm, misunderstood them, and abused them. Social support is one thing that can really help a child that has been sexually abused. Social support can help the child’s self-esteem so that they can protect themselves from being re-victimized. When one of the family members are unable to protect the child from another person in the family from hurting them sexually, the child suffers from betrayal. The child

Any victim of sexual abuse faces the chance of having their development impacted. This is especially true amongst children. Studies have proven that children who have been sexually abused by a female offender often have different developmental experiences (T.A. Gannon, 2008, p. 356). Mental illness is yet another impact that victims face. Many sexual abuse victims transpire into states of depression, rage, and suicide; they even have strained relationships with certain individuals (Denov, 2014, p.