Couples Therapy for Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse

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.

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.

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.

The last of the characteristics of childhood trauma are changed attitudes about life, people, and future possibilities (Terr, 1999). The traumatized child may lose hope of a fruitful future, may despise a particular gender due to abuse, or may even desire close contact with the same gender of the perpetrator. A last example demonstrating a traumatic characteristic is through a 16-year-old female client. A male family member sexually and physically abused this client as a child. Although most sexual assault victims may avoid persons of the same gender of the perpetrator, as described above, there are also victims that try to gain the attention of persons with the same gender of the perpetrator. This client demonstrates just that. The client is exceedingly flirtatious with male peers and staff of her residential facility. She has been caught several times attempting to perform sexual acts with her male peers and at times becomes very angry when she is not given the attention she desires from a male peer.

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).

Being sexually abused is a very traumatizing experience, and this form of victimization at a young age only amplifies the situation. The mortifying nature of child sexual abuse often brings along with it changes in the victim's life. Some of the numerous short term effects (problems that impact them while they are still at a young

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.

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

Like Fresno et al., Meyer et al. (2017) found a direct relationship between CSA and attachment style—this time following survivors into adulthood. Meyer et al. were interested in the persistent complications of CSA into adulthood, including adult attachment styles. They hypothesized that CSA directly leads to insecure attachment, especially avoidant and anxious attachment, which in return results in maladaptive emotion regulation and inappropriate behaviors. They also hypothesized that women who experienced CSA would be closely associated with anxious attachment and CSA men would be associated with avoidant attachment. Meyer et al. explored this by administering an online survey advertised to local college campuses, community organizations, mental health counseling groups, and local 12-step sexual addiction treatment groups. The survey measured attachment style outcome using the Close Relationships Scale. Out of 751 participants, 129 or 16% of participants reported experiencing CSA (32 males and 97 females). The results showed that those with CSA in their history were more likely to have an anxious adult attachment, and surprisingly found no relationship for avoidant attachment. This is a direct relationship between CSA history and insecure adult attachment, and was found to not be mediated by gender. There were no gender differences as both men and women were likely to

This paper reviews several articles that discuss the lasting effects that sexual abuse can have on a child into their adult years. The articles agree that victims of child sexual abuse (CSA) will most likely suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and/or experience revictimization. This paper will also address the common forms of coping that victims of child sexual abuse take part in. Some research will touch on proper healing techniques for victims of CSA to receive.

This research is aimed at providing knowledge of coping skills for victims of early sexual abuse. Poor coping skills, such as avoidance has been demonstrated to exacerbate the impact of childhood trauma on psychological distress (Wang et al, 2010). Victims of early sexual abuse tend to use acceptance and avoidance as ways to cope with trauma. Child sexual abuse has consistently been associated with the use of avoidant coping which have been associated with increased trauma symptoms, which have, in turn, been linked to increased risk for adult sexual

Across studies it is shown that any form of CSA is strongly associated with major depression and PTSD (Chen et al., 2014). In one study conducted by Lev-Wiesel and Markus (2011), researchers administered the childhood sexual assaults scale to 225 female participants. This particular scale includes questions related to coercion and the type of sexual assault experienced. The results of this study showed that when individuals were coerced into intercourse, the levels of depression and post-traumatic stress symptomology were higher than when the intercourse was not coerced (Lev-Wiesel & Markus, 2011). Moreover, individuals whose abuse involved actual or attempted intercourse had more symptoms of PTSD than individuals who experienced other forms

1. Alexander, P. C. (1993). The differential effects of abuse characteristics and attachment in the prediction of long-term effects of sexual abuse. Journal of interpersonal violence, 8, 346-362

Imagine looking around at the people in a room with you and realizing that almost half of them may have experienced some form of intimate partner abuse during their lifetime. This could well be the case, with the Word Health Organization reporting that globally, one in three women experience intimate partner physical violence in their lifetime (García-Moreno et al., 2013). In the United States, 31.5% of women and 27.5% of men experience intimate partner physical violence in their lifetime (Breiding, 2011). These figures are even more staggering when psychological abuse is included. In the United States, 47.1% of women and 46.5% of men have experienced psychological abuse in their lifetime (Breiding, 2011).

Child sexual abuse has been reported up to 80,000 times a year, but the number of unreported instances is far greater, because the children are afraid to tell anyone what has happened (American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry). Childhood sexual abuse is a traumatic experience affecting the lives of not only the victim, but those close to the victim as well. Many think there is only one person truly traumatized, but in fact, everyone involved is affected. The victim has to deal with their experience the rest of their lives. They may be more at risk for other mental issues as well, including depression. The family involved has to deal with its pain, often causing hardship and discord within the family. This is especially true