PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE

 

What is Sexual Abuse?

Sexual abuse is any form of sexual Violence including

·         Rape

·         Child Molestation

·         Incest

·         Non-Consensual Sexual Contact

·         Non-Contact Sexual Abuse

Let’s Talk about these Forms and then discuss the psychological effects of child sexual abuse

     RAPE:

Rape is forced sexual contact with someone who doesn’t or cannot permit.  

CHILD MOLESTATION:

Child molestation is any sexual interaction, connection with a child. Molested children are too young to know what is happening with them and they don’t fight back. Abusers use child collaboration in some cases as evidence that no one harmed. For Example, Child molestation might include massaging, touching, or demanding sexual favors from a child.

INCEST:

Frequently Incest happens as child abuse. Over a third of American sexual assault survivors under the age of 18 are abused by a family member, according to the latest statistics. However, incest is an underreported crime, so the definite number of incest survivors may be higher.

NON-CONSENSUAL SEXUAL CONTACT:

This kind of sexual abuse includes unwanted touching, for example, groping or pinching. Attempted rape can also fall into this type.

NON-CONTACT SEXUAL ABUSE:          

Not all sexual abuse fits neatly into common legal or psychological definitions. For instance, parents who have sex in front of their children or who make sexually inappropriate comments to their children are engaging in sexual abuse. So-called revenge pornography sites, which publish nude photos of people without their consent, are another form of sexual abuse

 Psychological Effects

Immediate Psychological Consequences:

Fear             Grief

Shock        Denial

Anxiety     Nervousness

Guilt          Withdrawal

Confusion   Isolation

SHORT AND LONG-TERM EFFECTS

Childhood sexual abuse is known to be a major risk factor in the development of long term social and psychological adjustment problems.  These problems can carry over into adulthood, and also affect marital life as well as parenthood.

Long Term Effects:

There are many long-term effects of child sexual abuse but some most worrying that can cause long term psychological damage. Childhood sexual abuse has been correlated with higher levels of depression, guilt, shame, self-blame, eating disorders, somatic concerns, anxiety, dissociative patterns, repression, denial, sexual problems, and relationship problems.

The most common long-term symptom among survivors is depression.  Survivors may have difficulty in externalizing the abuse, thus thinking negatively about themselves.

Survivors frequently experience guilt, shame, and self-blame. It has been shown that survivors often take personal responsibility for the abuse.

Survivors tend to exhibit more self-destructive behaviors and experience more suicidal ideation than those who have not been abused.

Body issues and eating disorders have also been mentioned as a long-term effect of childhood sexual abuse. Symptoms of child sexual abuse survivors’ body image problems to be related to feeling dirty or ugly, dissatisfaction with body or appearance, eating disorders, and obesity. Survivors’ distress may also result in somatic concerns.

Stress and anxiety are often long-term effects of childhood sexual abuse. Childhood sexual abuse can be frightening and cause stress long after the experience or experiences have terminated.

Many survivors experience sexual difficulties. Symptoms that often result from experiences of sexual abuse: “avoiding, fearing, or lacking interest in sex; approaching sex as an obligation; experiencing negative feelings such as anger, disgust, or guilt with touch; having difficulty becoming aroused or feeling sensation; feeling emotionally distant or not present during sex; experiencing intrusive or disturbing sexual thoughts and images; engaging in compulsive or inappropriate sexual behaviors; experiencing difficulty establishing or maintaining an intimate relationship; experiencing vaginal pain or orgasmic difficulties (women); and experiencing erectile, ejaculatory, or orgasmic difficulties

Other Long-term Consequences:

Depending on their age, victims of child sexual abuse are also at greater risk of experiencing the following consequences:

Neurobiological changes       

Depressive symptoms

Developmental delays           

Anxiety, fear, distrust of others

Anger, aggression       

Maladjustment in school

Sexual behavior problems  

Social isolation behavior

Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder Somatic problems (e.g. enuresis)

Behavior problems

Dissociative symptoms

Low self-esteem

Studies have shown that children who experience sexual abuse tend to recover quicker and with better results if they have a supportive, caring adult (ideally a parent) consistently in their life.