The Trauma of Childhood Sexual Abuse Essay - 1694 Words

An estimated 39 million survivors of childhood sexual abuse exist in America today (Darness2Light, 2009a ). This figure continues to grow daily as perpetrators of this crime continue in this destructive path. The definition of child sexual abuse is the force, coercion, or cajoling of children into sexual activities by a dominant adult or adolescent. Sexual abuse of children includes touching (physical) sexually including: fondling; penetration (vaginal or anal using fingers, foreign objects or offenders organs; oral sex, or non-physical contact including: sexual comments; indecent exposures; masturbating in a child’s presence; child prostitution or child pornography (Child Welfare, 2009a). However, these sexual acts can occur in†¦show more content†¦It should be noted that statistics show that 1 in 4 girls is sexually abused before the age 18; 1 in 6 boys is sexually abused before the age of 18; 1 in 5 children are solicited sexually while on the internet (Darknes s2light, 2009c). Also children who are ill, disabled, or otherwise perceived as different are more likely targets of abuse(Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 2009). The physical sexual abuse of children is a sex crime that carries severe penalties by law. Additionally, a note should be made that over 75% of serial rapists report they were sexually abused as youngsters (Darkness2Light, 2009d). But even though there may be an overstatement of child physical sexual abuse (CPSA), its impact can cause severe psychological, and behavioral problems that threatens the family unit and society in general. Children who are physically sexually abused can experience trauma and impediments in the development of the brain. Additionally, Perry (2009) states that the majority of critical structure and functional organization takes place in childhood, and by the age of three the brain has reached 90% of adult size. During this time any experience the child undergoes will last a lifetime. Among th e psychological effects of CPSA are intense fear, depression, and anger. Victims also suffer from the long-term effects ofShow MoreRelatedConsequences Of Childhood Sexual Abuse1744 Words   |  7 PagesAbuse Circumstances The wide variety of potentially harmful consequences of Childhood Sexual Abuse (CSA) can also be better identified and understood when considering the abuse circumstances. Factors such as the severity of the abusive act, victim’s age, the frequency and duration of the abuse, the relationship the victim had with their abuser and if physical violence was involved are all key factors that contribute to the degree of trauma experienced by the victim and the varies long-term harmfulRead MoreChildhood Trauma Can Have A Significant Impact On The Behaviour1460 Words   |  6 PagesChildhood trauma can have a significant impact on the behaviour of an individual. Previous research has shown how trauma causes behavioral problems and can also result in mental disorders in the person. Studies conducted by Gabriele et al. (2002) and Sara et al. (2013) show how incidences of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse are widespread in patients with bipolar disorder. Gabriele et al. (2002) conducted the research to find out the impact of adverse childhood events, mainly physical andRead MorePsychological Aspects Of Sexually Abused Women And The Trauma Recovery And Empowerment1593 Words   |  7 Pagesabused women and the trauma recovery and empowerment. Sexual abuse can be well defined as sexual assaults and sexual exploitation of the individual, which include the following: Rape, Incest, Molestation and Voyeurism. An assortment of 15 empirical studies will compare and contrast their findings of psychological sexual abuse and trauma recovery. Individuals that are victims of sexual abuse can undergo many issues for the victim to inflict upon. Despite the fact that sexual abuse does mark males, womenRead MoreChildhood Trauma and the Impact of Adulthood1381 Words   |  6 Pagestheir childhood(s). Lenore C. Terr (January, 1999) states, Childhood trauma appears to be a critical etiological factor in the development of a number of serious disorder s both in childhood and in adulthood. To better understand childhood trauma, Terr defines this as, the mental result of one sudden, external or a series of blows, rendering the young person temporarily helpless and breaking past ordinary coping and defense operations (January, 1999). The statistics of childhood trauma is alarmingRead MoreHow Trauma Affects Coping : A Brazilian Study Of Twenty One Female Bipolar Patients1712 Words   |  7 PagesHow Trauma Affects Coping A Brazilian study of thirty-one female Bipolar patients, using the Child Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Ways of Coping Questionnaire, and Brief COPE, investigated the effect trauma had on coping and bipolar disorder. Of the participants, 80% of reported during childhood they had experienced emotional abuse, 68% reported physical abuse, 63% reported physical neglect. Emotional neglect was reported in 43% of individuals, 27% reported sexual abuse. (Daruy-Filho, Brietzke, Kluwe-SchiavonRead MoreChild Sexual Abuse and Its Impact on The Developing Brain, An Annotated Bibliography846 Words   |  4 Pages1) â€Å"Child Sexual Abuse, Traumatic Experiences, and Their Impact on the Developing Brain† Gaskill, Richard L. and Perry, Bruce D. (2012) â€Å"Child Sexual Abuse, Traumatic Experiences, and Their Impact on the Developing Brain† Handbook of Child Sexual Abuse: Identification, Assessment, and Treatment. Online. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9781118094822.ch2/pdf Annotated Bibliography: In this article, the author is making an argument that sexual abuse causes brain development problems inRead MoreLong Term Effects Of Child Sexual Abuse1467 Words   |  6 PagesLong-term effects of child sexual abuse Child Abuse can be a fundamental reason of causing issues for children and young people in physically and mentally. The primitive damage caused by child sexual abuse effect on the child’s developing capacities for trust, intimacy, agency and sexuality so that child sexual abuse is considered as a trigger of mental health problems and increase the risk of major depressive disorder in early adulthood or throughout their lifetime. There is a fact that thoseRead MoreThe Effects Of Substance Abuse On A Person s Life Essay1528 Words   |  7 Pagesplay into the prevalence of substance abuse in a person’s life. From the moment a person is born into this world, social experiences and interactions start molding that person into the individual they predominantly are classified as. With that being said, researchers have found that traumatic experiences and dysfunction endured at a young age is highly correlated with the abuse of substances later in life. Trauma may include the child enduring any type of abuse, or neglect and a breakage in bonds withRead MoreChild Abuse And Its Effects On Children1317 Words   |  6 PagesChild abuse has long been an ongoing social problem; this abuse has been one of the repeatedly difficult accusations to prove in our criminal justice system. Child abuse causes many years of suffering for victims. Children abused suffer from chemical imbalances, behavioral issues and are at high risk for becoming abusers or being abused in adult relationships. This cycle of learned behavior and suffering will be a hopeless reoccurring problem unless the criminal justice system and protocols for abusersRead MoreChildhood Sexual Abuse : A Complex Multiphasic Process Essay912 Words   |  4 PagesThe development of sexuality is a complex multiphasic process. Many factors influence the process. Developing healthy sexual identity, expression, function, and relationship is not an easy task for the most people. Childhood sexual abuse makes the already complicate process even more so (Firestone, Firestone, Catlett, 2006). Abusers impose adult sexual desire to their child victims. The victimized children associate intimacy with negative feelings and thoughts such as shame and fear. Therefore