Psychological Consequences Of Child Sexual Abuse

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.

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

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

Child sexual abuse is an ever-present, psychologically and physically damaging event that occurs daily to hundreds of children. Unfortunately, child sexual abuse is not going away any time soon and the lives of so many precious children are altered forever. These abused children often grow up to be psychologically damaged adults with emotional, cognitive and physical issues that may never be able to be conquered. Far too many adults live with the pain of their secret and it can be quite debilitating. Adults who were abused as children may have many problems in their

CSA can leave survivors with both short and long term effects. This view is supported by Ferguson (1997), ‘as well as the immediate effects of such abuse seen in childhood, findings from research have reported how the impact of CSA can affect the lives of adult survivors.’

Sexual abuse can start at any age. Children do not know any better then what they are told, so they think what their parent or parents are doing to them is acceptable by touching them seductivly on parts of their genital area. Their is a complete difference in the way a parent or care giver touches a child unacceptably versus acceptably which is by wiping the child's genital areas to just remove just poop or pee to clean the child so they are healthy. Unacceptably is when the child is being touched excessively for pure pleasure this is illegal and should be reported if seen. This is how it starts off and becomes more and more intense over time. At first the child does not feel forced into this or feels threatened because they have so much trust at such a

The third distinctive argument is that sexual abuse puts teens at risk for teen pregnancy. When someone is sexually assaulted they usually do not report it in fear of what others may say or think of them. As a child, children are unaware of whats right from wrong putting them at a higher risk to be abused. Under-aged children tend to suffer sexual abuse from someone closer to them like a parent, aunt/uncle, sibling, or even a babysitter. Because children do not know that any form of touching someone who does not consent to it is sexual abuse they tend to suffer from abuse longer. Researchers Boyer and Fine (1992) have argued that the trauma of sexual victimization may harm normal developmental process. As these children grow older and

Irrespective of the specific mechanisms, the present meta-analysis provides compelling evidence of the negative impact of CSA [child sexual abuse] on human development. The results are clear; CSA is associated with the development of PTSD and depression, as well as with suicide, sexual promiscuity, the victim-perpetrator cycle, and poor academic performance, regardless of victim age, gender, or socioeconomic status (Paolucci, Genuis, Violato,

CSA is a public health problem which requires a strategic coordinated response. The needs of sexually abused children require attention. This group of individuals require therapeutic services in order to meet their needs. Therefore, the first task in treating sexually abused children is carrying out a therapeutic evaluation (Mathews, Naeemah & Jewkes 2013). This is necessary in order to identify problem areas, as well as the strengths and coping styles of the child, and also to determine whether and how to provide treatment to the child. Furthermore, appropriate and early intervention is essential in order to minimize the risk of long- term negative outcome of CSA, especially for child victims who show symptoms of sexual abuse (Mangilo, 2009)

Karajurt and Silver wrote the article, “Therapy for Childhood Sexual Abuse Survivors Using Attachment and Family Systems Theory Orientations,” to show how Childhood Sexual Abuse affects the child through adulthood. Childhood sexual abuse is better known as any sexual contact that an adult does by using threats, force, deception, touching, and anything that the child does not know is wrong due to age and mental stability. Karakurt and Silver (2014), says that:

It is hard to understand or predict what a person will be like when they are found to be sexually abused as a child. Long after childhood sexual abuse (CSA) ends, many survivors

Sexual abuse in children has an impact on their development in adulthood. As a result of this horrifying experience, victims may feel ashamed of themselves even though they are the victims and have done nothing wrong. Also victims have an inability to trust adults because someone they once trusted took advantage of them. They may feel defenseless and powerless. Sexual abuse never goes away, as much as an individual tries to block it, it will be a part of them for the rest of their lives.

This article describes the effects and outcome when sexual abuse has been inflicted upon children at various ages. The article expresses how the trauma is distinct from all other types of trauma due to the fact that many victims that experience sexual abuse are too young to seek help from the situation. The article explains that children are more likely to be raped or molested by close family members than from a random stranger.

The research put forth by Rind et al (1998), while obviously controversial, was delving into other variables that could be correlated to the severity of psychopathology of victims that experienced child sexual abuse. While child sexual abuse is a very sensitive subject, I think this research has benefited the conversation of CSA. There are multiple variables that cause a person’s psychopathology and to blame the mental disorders on strictly one event or multiple events of the same acts is in my opinion naive. In many cases I think that CSA have a major impact on victims but as the research suggests, there are multiple factors that correlate to the psychopathology of victims. One that Rind et al (1998) did not research was the resilience of

Being a victim of sexual abuse can change your life from the moment that it happens. Being sexually abused by a caregiver or stranger is a traumatizing experience because many feelings such as helplessness, powerlessness, and hopelessness begin to take over. After reading “Conversations with a Pedophile” and researching on this topic, I have learned how pedophiles choose their victims and how this grooming process does not take days, but years. After learning this information, it saddens me because victims are genuinely comfortable with the individual that then becomes the offender. The offender becomes the person that the victim can go to if they have any type of issue, a person that has shown them nothing but the positive things in life. The person that can bring out a side to you that no one else seems to bring out, a person that you trust and care for.