How Childhood Sexual Abuse Affects The Child Through Adulthood

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.

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.

Sexual abuse is a prevalent crime that can have numerous short and long term effects on a victim. It describes as any form sexual activity that is accomplished by force or threat where consent is not given. This includes rape, molestation, incest, and other similar forms of non-consensual sexual contact. The effects of sexual abuse are not the same for every victim, victims may feel varied responses and emotions that can depend on own situations. The act of abuse may had happened a long time ago or be more recent.

As time progresses on, more reports of child sexual abuse (CSA) have been documented. According to Colangelo and Cooperman, CSA is defined as “the use of a child under 18 years of age as an object of gratification for adult sexual needs and desires.” Another definition of CSA is “sexual abuse [that] occurs whenever one person dominates and exploits another by means of sexual activity or suggestion.” (Hall, M., & Hall, J., 2011) it is difficult 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.

As many as one in three females have experienced sexual abuse by the age of 18 (Russell, 1986). Many survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) experience negative psychological symptoms (Browne & Finkelhor, 1986; Kendall-Tackett, Williams, L. M., & Finkelhor, 1993). These women may later in life engage in relationships. The negative impact of sexual abuse could result in challenges faced by the relationship due to shame and difficulty with trust (Kochka & Carolan, 2002; MacIntosh & Johnson, 2008). CSA may also result in sexual challenges for the couple (Kochka & Carolan, 2002). Research has found that couples therapy can be of significance to the healing of the CSA survivor as well as functioning and growth in the relationship (Kochka &

The article that I read was on long-term effects of childhood sexual abuse. The article covers many symptoms that survivors experience as a result of the abuse. Survivors are faced with trust issues, self-blame, and shame. Most of the sexual abuse is performed by someone the child trusts and loves. The effects are many and some that are abused even regress the abuse. Taking that first step to counseling or therapy is the start of the healing process.

According to Dr. Debra Rose Wilson, a faculty member at Middle Tennessee State University School of Nursing, a child will be changed for the rest of their lives after suffering from sexual abuse (Wilson 56). She writes that sexual abuse can be defined as any type of encouragement an adult gives a child to gain any type of sexual favors from a child (Wilson 56). She states that survivors often have lifelong problems including both the emotional and physical aspects of their life (Wilson 56).

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is growing and becoming more prevalent around the world (Aspelmeier, Elliott, & Smith, 2007; Karakurt & Silver, 2014; Mikulincer & Shaver, 2007). As such, CSA acquired concern as being a serious problem in recent decades. CSA is any type of sexual relation with a child, who is unable to consent, through force, threat, or dishonesty to assure participation. Consequently, CSA associates with psychological difficulties, such as Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

The pains and the pleasures experienced at the past as a result of sexual abuse are usually tagged along in the present adult relationships. Psychologists have reported that the pain from mental and sexual torture or abuse experienced during childhood are usually almost impossible to erase them beyond adolescents and in adult relationships (Mullen, 1993). Researchers also argue out that the survivors who experienced sexual abuse during their childhood years are relatively more susceptible or more prone to being assaulted or revictimized again during their adolescent years and in their adult relationships. Females have been indicated to be more prone to sexually abuse as compared to males (Putnam, 2003). Childhood sexual abuse is likely to shape an individual’s personality and thereby affect interactions with others and her environment.

Childhood sexual abuse is a global issue that has multiple outcomes of dysfunction that an adult may display due to previous experience. There is evidence supporting the magnitude of problems that a CSA surviving adult may go through especially if critical periods of development have been altered because of trauma. The negative effects are psychologically, physically, behaviorally and interpersonally harmful to the victim’s overall health. With continued research and bringing an awareness to the problem that child sexual abuse is more common than we think and its implications that there are increased relationship hardships such as chronic dissatisfaction, abandonment issues, intimacy avoidance and couples distress. Highlighting how this

Sexual abuse occurs from someone the child knows and has both physical and emotional affect on the child’s health and self-esteem. Sexually abused kids

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

Abused children may not have a sense of space and physical or emotional boundaries and they may have a distorted idea about how children relate to adults or other children (Ullman). The emotional effects are no better. Common fears among sexual assault survivors include worrying that the attacker will come back; fear of being alone or of crowds, and concern about family and friends finding out about the attack. Anger, frustration, and feelings of powerlessness and helplessness are common feelings among survivors of any age, gender or sexual orientation. Reactions to the assault can also include embarrassment, guilt, numbness, suspicion, and denial, obsessions with the assault, aversion to touch, and the disruption of a normal sex life (Stream). Molested children suffer many losses physically as well, including: self-esteem and self-worth, having a childhood, including the opportunity to play and learn, the opportunity for normal growth and development, intimacy, control over his/her body, normal loving and nurturing, safety and security, headache, gynecological, and gastrointestinal symptoms (Draucker 437). All of these things add up to be a complete nightmare to a child.