EFFECTS OF SEXUAL ABUSE

Child sexual abuse can have a number of effects both physical and psychological, short-long term. Early intervention to address the initial effects reduces the likelihood of long-term consequences of child sexual abuse and aids in the child’s recovery.

PHYSICAL

A child who has been sexually abused may suffer physical injury such as lesions, tears, swelling or bleeding in the genital region. The child may experience genital infections, discharge or be infected with a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Sexual abuse in girls as young as age ten (10) can lead to pregnancy. The effect of pregnancy on the child / young person is extremely traumatic.

PSYCHOLOGICAL

Children who have been sexually abused experienced a vast range of negative emotional effects. These effects can also negatively impact directly or indirectly on the family and the community. Not every child who has been sexually abused experience the same emotional effects to the same degree. It is also possible that some of the effects may not occur until adulthood.

Fear – the child is in a constant state of fear when the abuser uses threats or physical force. The abuser may swear the child to secrecy and threaten them if they tell. The child is too afraid to tell fearing the consequences might be, punishment, abandonment eg. “You will be put in a home” and family breakups. These are very real possibilities to the child who is terrified of being responsible for negative consequences. Where physical force is used the child is terrified of being physically abused if they do not comply with the abuser’s wishes. A child may continually fear the sexual abuse recurring even after the abuse has stopped.

Guilt – children who are sexually abused often feel that they are responsible for the abuse. The child knows something is wrong and blames him / herself for the abuser’s behaviour. A child will believe they have done something “bad” to cause the abuse. The child may feel guilty that they did not stop the abuse or blame themselves for keeping the abuse a secret hence allowing the abuse to continue. A child may also feel guilty if a disclosure results in the removal of a family member.

Helplessness / Powerlessness – children in this situation often feel that they have no control over their own lives or their body. They believe they have no choices available to them. Powerlessness in changing their situation the child feels trapped, resulting in the child experiencing apathy, depression or dissociation.

Isolation – a child who has been sexually abused may experience a deep sense of isolation. This feeling of isolation is based on the child’s belief “something is wrong with me” and “I am different to everyone else” causing the child to feel alone in their experience. This sense of isolation is strongly felt by incest victims where the abuse and the secrecy may further isolate the child from the non-offending parent and siblings.

Anger – is usually the strongest feeling children have about the sexual abuse. The child feels anger towards the abuser, anger at those who failed to protect them and anger at themselves for not being able to stop the abuse. The child may also feel angry towards people who did not believe them when they disclosed.

Sadness – the child may feel a sense of sadness because the adult of whom they should be able to depend on has let them down. A child may feel grief due to a sense of loss especially if the abuser was loved and trusted by the child.

Betrayal – sexual abuse represents a betrayal of trust. Children feel betrayed because they are dependent upon adults for nurturing and protection and the abuser is someone who they should be able to love and trust. The child may have difficulty trusting or feeling safe with an adult of the same sex as the abuser. The child may also feel betrayal by adult(s) who have failed to protect them.

Confusion – when a child is sexually abused by someone they love and trust the child is often confused about right and wrong. This confusion may cause the child to doubt their own judgement. Instead of believing the abuser is wrong, the child will think there must be something wrong with him / her for feeling uncomfortable about the abuse. The child may feel confused because they may still like/love the abuser but dislike their behaviour.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder – children are often traumatised by sexual abuse experience. This may result in post trauma effects immediately or subsequently after the abuse. Common responses to trauma are hyper-alertness (easily startled, irritability, difficult in sleeping and concentration), intrusion (recurring memories, nightmares or flashbacks) and emotional numbing (child avoids feelings or thoughts which reminds them of the abuse).

Factors which influence the impact of sexual abuse on the child include age and gender of child, gender of abuser, severity and frequency of abuse, single or multiple abuser’s and the relationship between the abuser and child.

(Sgroi, S. 1982)