Briana Melendez
English 1311
Childhood Sexual Abuse
March 9, 2011
Approximately 7.7 million Americans have post-traumatic stress disorder (Whealin 2009.) This can affect an individual by becoming emotionally numb, sleep problems, or even in relationships where an individual can become emotionally detached. One of the main emotional/psychological side effects of sexually abused children is post-traumatic stress disorder, without treatment this may negatively influence a victim for the rest of their life.
According to the National Center for PTSD the definition of child sexual abuse involves a broad extent of sexual behaviors that take place between a child meaning someone below the age of 18/minor, and an older person meaning an adult(Whealin 2009.) These actions are meant to stimulate the older person in a sexual way. The abuser gives no thought to what effect the behavior may have on the child. In most cases the abuser does not care about the reactions or choices of the child. The legal definition for child sexual abuse consists of touching sexual offenses, non-touching sexual offenses, and sexual exploitation. Touching sexual offenses include: Fondling, making a child touch an adult’s sexual organs, penetrating a child’s vagina or anus no matter how slight with a penis or any object that doesn’t have a valid medical purpose. Non-touching sexual offenses include: Engaging in indecent exposure or exhibitionism, exposing children to pornographic material, deliberately exposing a child to the act of sexual intercourse, masturbating in front of a child. Lastly sexual exploitation includes: Engaging a child a child for the purposes of prostitution and using a child to film, photograph or model pornography (U.S Department of Health and Human Services 2007.) The above is defining child sexual abuse broadly. A short brief legal definition of child molestation in most states is an act of an adult who forces, blackmails or threatens a child to have any form of sexual contact or to engage in any type of sexual activity.
Abusers of sexually abused children come from various cultures, genders, races, ages, and backgrounds. Adolescent perpetrators consist of as many as one-third of the offenders. Child abusers victimize children by intimidating victims, offering attention or gifts, using hostile behavior or showing a combination of these methods. One common factor is that victims frequently know and trust their abusers. About 60% of offenders are non-relative acquaintances, such as a friend of the family, baby sitter, or neighbor. About 30% of those who sexually abuse children are relatives of the child, such as cousins, uncles, even fathers. Strangers are offenders in about only 10% of cases. In most cases men are the abusers, victims being a boy or a girl. Although in 14% of cases reported against boys and about 6% of cases reported against girls the offender is a woman. Strangers, for instance child pornographers, make contact with children through the internet.
Despite most myths where sexual assault occurs in alley ways most of the crimes are committed in the victims or offenders home. One researcher found that family conditions placing children at higher risk for sexual abuse involve mothers working outside the home, absence of and/or problems between parents, and weak relationships between parent and child (Finkelhor 2008.) Some studies even suggest girls with stepfathers are twice as likely as other girls to be a victim of sexual abuse, and fathers who demand obedience from children and believe that women are inferior to men are more at risk than other men to be abusers of children. That being said girls are more likely than boys to be a victim of childhood sexual abuse.
Proving child sexual abuse may be very difficult at times where the child victim might be the only witness and their statement may be the only evidence. The question most of the time is if the child could be trusted or not. The crime is usually found in one of a few ways, either a confession by the child’s family member making a statement, the victim develops an std or becomes pregnant, or an eyewitness of the crime. This traumatic experience is reported up to 90,000 times a year. Estimations suggest that 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will experience sexual abuse before the age of 18 but the number of unreported cases is much higher due to being ashamed or the victim feeling like it is their own fault. Warning signs of sexual abuse is not always physical but instead behavioral unusualness, unfortunately in many cases it is mistaken for disobedient manners. The damage of sexual abuse can be devastating to the child.
According to the American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) a victim of child abuse may develop low self-esteem, withdrawn and mistrustful of adults, depression, and even a distorted view of sex. If a witness to this kind of behavior take caution because this may be a suggestion that this child is a victim of sexual abuse. Those being just short-term damages from the incident, left untreated long-term social, psychological and emotional effects may occur (Clancy 2009.)
As the victims grow into adults they may have a lower self-esteem and a sense of worthlessness leading to being emotionally and socially withdrawn. Some additional psychological effects are a sense of guilt, shame, and being excessively depressed accompanying a higher likelihood of committing suicide and substance use, gang affiliation, pregnancy, running away, and risky sexual behavior this being that the victim has difficulty relating to others except sexually later becoming prostitutes or even become child abusers themselves as they grow older. Research also suggests, as adults, victims may have fear or trouble with touch or sexual arousal (Easton 2011.) Researchers at the University of Southern Mississippi and Illinois at Chicago of Social Work reported nearly all the sexually abused children in their study experienced some level of post-traumatic stress disorder meaning later in on life they may face employment problems, relationships problems including violence and divorce, reliving the event such as having flashbacks, avoiding situations that can hinder on a victims life, feeling numb for example not interested in activities they use to enjoy, and/or feeling a sensation of hyper-arousal signifying feeling like everyone is out to get them which in other words means trust issues(U.S Department of Health and Human Services 2007.) These are some of the many side effects that could greatly impact a victim’s life without proper care and treatment.
One way to avoid your child or someone else’s of being sexually abused is to educate them what is and isn’t proper. Inform a child what is inappropriate sexual behavior. Let them know if anyone has touched them in any way that has made them uncomfortable you will be there to listen and help. Most importantly keep an eye on them when they interact with someone and notice if they are uneager or afraid to go with a certain individual.
If discovered that a child you know is a victim of sexual abuse support them. They need to feel they may speak openly to an adult and that they can be trusted. Victimized children always need to be assured that it is not there fault and they are not responsible for anything that has happened to them. Above all report it as soon as possible to a local child protective services agency. Professionals associated with children by law are required to report notion of neglect or abuse. In 20 states citizens are obligated to report suspected abuse, a statement or firsthand observation is all that is needed in order for it to be reported. You might be the only person who is able to help a child of sexual abuse s offer encouragement and help as much as possible. If in need of help or information go to http://www.rainn.org/ or a local center is the Child Crisis Center Of El Paso located at 2100 N. Stevens 79930 and the number to be reached at is (915)562-7955
References
Faust K.D. , Runyon J. , Kenny M.K. , Maureen C. (2002). Behavior Problems in Sexually Abused Children of Depressed Versus Non-depressed Mothers. Journal
Tyler, K. A. (2002) Social and emotional outcomes of childhood sexual abuse: A review of recent research. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 7 (6) p.567-589
Avery L. , Massat C. , & Lundy M. (2000). Post-traumatic Stress and Mental Health Functioning of Sexually Abused Children. Child & Adolescent Social Work Journal, 17(1), p.19-34
Clancy, S.A. (2009). The trauma myth: the truth about the sexual abuse of children--and its aftermath. New York, Ny: Basic Books.
Rogers, A.G. (2006). The unsayable: the hidden language of trauma. New York: Random House
Gartner, R.B. (1999). Betrayed as boys: psychodynamic treatment of sexually abused men. New York, Ny: The Guilford Press.
Easton, S., Coohey, C., O'leary, P., Zhang, Y., & Hua, L. (2011). The Effect of Childhood Sexual Abuse on Psychosexual Functioning During Adulthood. Journal of Family Violence, 26(1), 41-50. doi:10.1007/ s10896-010-9340-6
Finkelhor, David. (2008). Sexually assaulted children:national estimates and characteristics [ 11, [1] p. : digital, PDF file.]. Retrieved from http:// www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/214383.pd
Smith, M.J. (2008). Child sexual abuse: issues and challenges . Nova Science Publishers.
Kinnear, Karen. (1999). Childhood sexual abuse [xii, 333 p. ; 24 cm.].
Whealin, Julia, & Barnett, Erin. Department of Veterans Affairs, (2009). Child sexual Abuse Washington, DC: Retrieved from http://www.ptsd.va.gov/ professional/ pages/ child_sexual_abuse.asp
U.S Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Children, Youth, and Families. (2007). Child maltreatment Washington, DC: Government Printing Office. Retrieved from http:// www.americanhumane.org/children/stop-child-abuse/fact-sheets/child-sexual- abuse.html
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