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Childhood Sexual Abuse

What is Childhood Sexual Abuse?

Childhood sexual abuse refers to the involvement of a child under the age of 16 years old in sexual acts at an age when they are unable to give informed consent as they do not fully understand the implications of these acts. Usually, but not always, the abuser is older than the victim and often has a caretaking role in the victim's life and therefore is in a position of power. Sometimes the abuser is a stranger. Sexual abuse may range from inappropriate touching to sexual intercourse and may be accompanied by physical and emotional abuse. Alternatively, it may be disguised as play and any traumatic effects may not emerge until later. Some victims deal with the abuse by blocking out memories which may only resurface in adulthood whereas others retain these memories throughout their childhood and into adulthood.

Effects of Childhood Sexual Abuse

Each individual responds differently to the experience of childhood sexual abuse in terms of the degree to which they are affected. Adult survivors of such abuse often report experiencing the following consequences: -

• Flashbacks and nightmares related to memories of the abuse.
• Physical damage and/or complaints in response to memories of abuse such as chronic pain, digestive and respiratory problems, nausea, headaches, genital-urinary problems, etc.
• Intense emotions such as shame, guilt, anger, loneliness, fear, grief at the loss of childhood, etc. Often survivors experience a constant struggle to control these emotions. Alternatively, they may be numb to feelings.
• Self-harming behaviour which may involve damaging different areas of the body by cutting, scratching or burning, etc or could occur through alcohol or drug abuse or through eating disorders.
• Relationship difficulties mainly as a result of lack of trust of intimate contact with others as well as sexual problems due to the experience of sexual abuse.
• Social withdrawal as a result of feeling very alone with the abuse.

Recovering from Abuse

Each person's path to recovery is unique. However, many survivors of childhood sexual abuse have found the following ways of approaching their experience useful:-

• Avoid blaming yourself for the abuse. Remember you were a child when the abuse occurred and that your innocence was manipulated.
• Remember that you are not alone. Unfortunately, a large number of both girls and boys world-wide experience some form of unwanted sexual act before the age of 18.
• Find ways to talk about your experience or express yourself in other ways, such as through writing or drawing, so that you can release some of your feelings rather than keeping them bottled up inside.
• Start to look after yourself now and avoid turning feelings of guilt and anger against yourself. You deserve to be cared for and treated with respect and kindness especially after what happened to you in the past.
• Do not despair. People do heal from childhood abuse. It is possible to accept what happened, to reduce its effects and move on to a fulfilling life and healthy relationships.

More information is available on the links page.

Sources of Help

The University Counselling Service has trained counsellors who can help you explore your past and find ways to come to terms with your experience. We also have a library of books on many subjects including childhood sexual abuse and sexual assault, which you can borrow, with a £5 deposit.

The Links page has several helplines and websites where you can gain support or information about sexual assault and childhood abuse.