Past Emotional Trauma

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.

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.

Sitting in the middle of the floor was a sixteen year old girl who had just finished a basketball game. Usually after games, the girl would sit with the rest of the team to watch the boys play. Instead, the girl walked out of the gym with tears freely falling from her cheeks hoping nobody would notice them. After she had sat down, a few members of the team noticed her absence and went looking for her. The reason the girl didn’t want to be seen with tears was because some others on the team had been experiencing the same thing that she was. What this girl was experiencing was emotional trauma created by her male coach. The

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).

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.

& Li, 2001). With the brain developing at its fastest rate in childhood, it is especially

Two of the consequences of sexual abuse that interest me the most is posttraumatic stress disorder and repressed memory. PTSD is known as an anxiety disorder that occurs in response to experiencing extreme stress (McCoy & Keen, 2014). The rates of PTSD vary among the type of sexual abuse that has occurred (McCoy & Keen, 2014). Victims of sexual abuse usually have to deal with PTSD. They have flashbacks of the terrible indicants, could happen randomly or be triggered by anything. Since the triggers could happen any time, it could prevent the person from prevent the person from being able to move on, which could stop them from living a successful and happy life. Another consequence of sexual abuse is repressed memory. Repressed memory is when the brain forces unacceptable thoughts, desires or memories into the unconscious (McCoy & Keen, 2014). This is done so the brain can protect itself. It takes a lot of energy for the brain to hide these memories and they can reappear caused by a trigger (McCoy & Keen, 2014). It makes

It may be that certain experiences, situations or people trigger flashbacks or other symptoms. These might include specific reminders of past trauma such as smells, sounds, words or a particular type of book or film.

The researchers analyzed the results with cross-tabulation, chi square statistics, analysis of variance, and multiple regression. Most of the subjects were able to respond to sexual stimulation and reach orgasm but did not enjoy it. The women who perceived themselves to be adjusted to their abuse still had some sexual dysfunction.

Exposure to traumatic experiences has always been a part of human life. From back hundreds of years ago till now, for example, attacks by saber tooth tigers or twenty-first century terrorists have likely led to similar psychological responses in survivors of such violence. Literary accounts offer the first descriptions of what we now call posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). For example, authors including Homer (The Iliad), William Shakespeare (Henry IV), and Charles Dickens (A Tale of Two Cities) wrote about traumatic experiences and the symptoms that followed such events. The PTSD diagnosis has filled an important gap in psychiatry in that its cause was the result of an event the individual suffered, rather than a personal weakness. PTSD became a diagnosis with influence from several social movements, such as Veteran, feminist, and Holocaust survivor advocacy groups. Research about Veterans returning from combat was a critical piece to the creation of the diagnosis. War takes a physical and emotional toll on service members, families, and their communities. So, the history of what

One does not often consider the grievous damages enforced on a human being derived from physical abuse. The pains perceived, the bruises imposed, the scars inflicted, and the bones wrecked. But, to take it on a more sophisticated level, sexual abuse administers damages that are permanent and irreversible. The endless feeling of shame and dirtiness is produced and “there are wounds that never show on the body that is deeper and more hurtful than anything that bleeds.” (Laurell K. Hamilton).

The connection between sexual abuse and psychiatric disorders are connected in the ways that make people depressed, create eating disorders, or have really bad rust issues and stay away from the opposite gender as much as they possibly can. It even got as bad as PTSD in some people, the cost of medical attention rises for people who were abused. Sometimes even genes come into the possibilities of disorders in a person. With different variations of genes, some people are more likely to need help later on with disorders. The problem is that a lot of people will not get help because they do not actually know that they have symptoms that could be helped.

In the United States, sexual abuse is a very uncommonly discussed topic in society. Many people do not like to speak openly about it. There is not much of a difference between sexual abuse and rape. One of the common characteristics of sexual abuse and rape is that they decreases a person’s self-esteem. An individual who is sexually abused will feel as though they are not themselves anymore and feel repulsion within them.

I wish to be considered for the M.A. in Holocaust and Genocide Studies at the University of Amsterdam because of my interest and research experience in traumatic history education. As an undergraduate, I analyzed how ex-torture sites in Argentina used critical pedagogy to promote certain citizenship ideals amongst students. If selected for the program, I would like to explore how student perspectives regarding traumatic (and often pivotal) points in their country’s history are affected by the use of certain master narratives.

Sexual Abuse is unwanted sexual behavior by an individual using force, threats or any other violent acts. Many sexual abuse victims do not report to authorities. Children are the most vulnerable involving sexual abuse before the age of seventeen. Sexual abuse makes many individuals nauseous about the topic and they refuse to bring it up. In fact, it scars the people who have suffered from it for the rest of their lives. Most sexual abusers are men that the victim is very close with or in fact, looks up to them.