Sexual Abuse
Sexual Abuse Counseling Services
Serving Orlando, Winter Park, Clermont, Lake Mary, and East Orlando Florida for Sexual Abuse Therapy
What is Sexual Abuse?
Childhood sexual abuse has only become a societal issue in the past several decades. Consequently there is a lack of research, much of which began in the 1980’s. Finkelhor and Brown (1986) defined sexual abuse as any sexual activity involving a child under eighteen in which the other person is five or more years older than the child and in which any implicit or explicit coercion is used. Because of this power differential, older adolescents or adults are able to lure younger children into a sexual relationship which they do not have the maturity to give consent. Sexual abuse itself can be any number of intrusiveness behaviors ranging from pornography to exhibitionism to penetration (Wickham and West, 2002).
About 20% of females and 10% of males will experience childhood sexual abuse. There is no set of symptoms with predictable symptoms for abuse. Abuse is not a just a traumatic event that happens sometime in the child’s life. It is enmeshed in the fabric of a dysfunctional family of origin and entwined in the conditioning process that occurred before and following abuse (Finkelhor, 1990). The combination of the already distorted family relationships, the event itself, and the condition contributes to the child’s maladaptive functioning. Abuse twists the child’s cognitive and affective capacities (Finklhor, 1990) and thus colors the way he or she views life.
Although there are no specific set of symptoms victims of childhood sexual abuse exhibit, there are many short-term and long-term effects associated with it.
Short-term Effects of Childhood Sexual Abuse
School Functioning
Truancy
Dropping out of school
Emotional and Cognitive Effects
Depression
Phobias
Anxiety
Shame and Guilt
Self-injurious behavior
Suicide ideation
Social and Interpersonal Functioning
Aggression
Antisocial behavior
Running away from home
Physical and Sexual Functioning
Physical complaints, such as stomachaches and headaches
Prostitution
Sexual Identity Issues
Compulsive and Addictive Behaviors
Substance Abuse
Eating Disorders
Self-Destructive Behavior
Long-Term Effects of Childhood Sexual Abuse
Emotional and Cognitive Effects
Depression
Anxiety
Shame and Guilt
Low Self-Esteem
Distorted Self-Perception
Social and Interpersonal Functioning
Interpersonal Difficulties
Revictimization
Physical and Sexual Functioning
Sexual Difficulties
Physical Problems such as headaches
Compulsive and Addictive Behaviors
Substance Abuse
Eating Disorders
Self-Destructive Behaviors
Please see blogs for topics of signs of sexual abuse, child sexual abuse, sexual abuse statistics, sexual abuse victims, sexual abuse treatment and more.
References
Finkelhor, D. Early and long-term effects of child sexual abuse: An update.
Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 21, 325-330.
Finkelhor, D., & Brown, A. (1986). Impact of child sexual abuse: A review of the research.
Psychological Bulletin, 99,66-77.
Wickham, R., & West, J. (2002).
Therapeutic Work with Sexually Abused Children. Sage Publications.
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