I spent the first part of my adult life overcoming the impact of my childhood sexual abuse. My healing journey continues to provide me the support and resources I need to be not just a survivor, but a thriver!
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Impact Statistics
The effects of child sexual abuse can be long-lasting, having a negative impact on children’s educational attainment as well as later job performance and earnings. (ref 1)
Victims are more likely than nonvictims to experience mental health challenges: (ref 2)
- About 4 times more likely to develop symptoms of drug abuse
- About 4 times more likely to experience PTSD as adults
- About 3 times more likely to experience a major depressive episode as adults
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As a survivor of incest by my maternal grandfather, I know what these statistics mean on a very personal level.
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Long-term Consequences
CSA has been linked to serious long-term consequences, including maladaptive behaviors and physical/psychological difficulties such as:
(ref 3, 4, 5, 6)
- poor self-esteem
- shame
- self-blame
- body issues
- obesity
- eating disorders
- depression
- mental health problems
- stress & anxiety
- anger
- guilt
- hostility
- aggression
- post-traumatic stress disorder
- headache
- insomnia
- nightmares
- flashbacks
- asthma
- irritable bowel syndrome
- chronic fatigue
- heart problems
- fibromyalgia
- self-mutilation and other self-destructive behavior
- alcohol/substance abuse
- suicidal ideation/attempts
- sexual difficulties
- relationship problems
- greater risk of illness, including heart disease and cancer
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I experienced a majority of these symptoms during and the years following my abuse. But I found ways to move beyond the impacts, which I will be sharing in future blog posts.
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See my blog on “What is Sexual Abuse?” for information on understanding what sexual abuse is and the signs of sexual abuse in children/teens.
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Read about “What is Sexual Abuse?” on a prior blog post!
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Learn about what inspired me to create the Thriving After blog in my first post!
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(1) Where We Stand: Cost, Consequences, and Solutions | National Alliance to End Sexual Violence. Retrieved from https://www.endsexualviolence.org/where_we_stand/costs-consequences-and-solutions/
(2) Children and Teens: Statistics. Rainin.org. Retrieved from https://www.rainn.org/statistics/children-and-teens/
(3) The Long-Term Effects of Childhood Sexual Abuse: Counseling Implications. Retrieved from https://www.counseling.org/docs/disaster-and-trauma_sexual-abuse/long-term-effects-of-childhood-sexual-abuse.pdf
(4) How Can We Identify Teenage Victims of Child Sexual Abuse? Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/finding-new-home/201810/how-can-we-identify-teenage-victims-child-sexual-abuse
(5) It never stops shaping you’: the legacy of child sexual abuse – and how to survive it. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/jun/28/it-never-stops-shaping-you-the-legacy-of-child-sexual-abuse-and-how-to-survive-it
(6) Learning the facts is the first step to preventing child sexual abuse. Retrieved from http://www.d2l.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Statistics_5_Consequences.pdf
