Long-Term Effects of Childhood Sexual Abuse

We’re going to discuss a deeply impactful issue that impacts many around the world. The long-term effects of childhood sexual abuse. This form of abuse can lead to deep trauma that often doesn’t fully appear until many years later, which can impact survivors in ways they might not even be fully aware of as they become adults. Many survivors may not realize they were victims of childhood abuse until adulthood with memories, sometimes surfacing and flashbacks or through the slow unveiling of repressed memories. This delayed recognition can make the journey to healing sometimes complex and painful here at Helping Survivors. We’ve spoken to hundreds of survivors of childhood sexual abuse, whose memories of the experience do not come until much later in life. We’ve also spoken with many survivors who are not ready to emotionally handle the trauma that happened to them, and they repressed or compartmentalized the harm that happened to them and are only now ready to unpack it.

Childhood sexual abuse can take many forms including sexual grooming, inappropriate and unwanted touching, forced oral sex, sexual assaults, and or rape. Childhood sexual abuse is typically perpetrated by someone close to the victim, such as a family member, a friend of the family, a babysitter or childcare worker, a teacher, a religious clergy member, or someone else who has consistent and close interactions. Childhood sexual abuse generally starts with sexually grooming the child, which is the act of building trust with someone with the intent to sexually harm them under the guise of caring about them. This can start with the individual putting a child on their lap, often asking them about sexual body parts and touching them in non-sexual ways such as tickling. Many children who experience sexual abuse do not tell anyone when it is occurring. This may happen for a variety of reasons, including being told it is a secret that the other person could get in trouble or that they will get in trouble if they tell.

This creates a shroud of secrecy and shame for the child who may not understand that they are being abused. The long-term mental and emotional effects of sexual abuse can be profound. Survivors might experience depression, anxiety, or PTSD, which can impact all areas of life, such as hindering educational opportunities and achievements and making it difficult to maintain consistent and gainful employment. Additionally, survivors may struggle with different forms of addictions and difficulties maintaining healthy relationships. A child who experienced sexual abuse is at significant higher risk of being re-victimized in their adolescence and or adulthood. Research has shown that the most consistent predictor of future sexual or gender-based violence is a history of prior trauma. This retraumatization can create even more shame, guilt, and fear in victims. But let’s be clear, no matter how many times someone experiences abuse, it is never their fault and help is available.

Whether the abuse was recent or took place years ago, the first step in healing is acknowledging the harm happened. We recommend writing down everything you can remember about the incident such as who was involved, the date, time, location, any witnesses or any potential evidence. Then we recommend speaking to a trusted individual such as a family member or friends, your doctor or mental health professional, or even calling a hotline like RAINN or the National Domestic Violence Hotline. The act of simply telling someone about what happens and releasing any guilt, shame, or other negative emotions is a huge step for survivors of childhood sexual abuse. To begin to unpack the impacts of the abuse, individuals may find talk therapy a valuable tool. However, therapy can be out of reach for many due to costs or limited access. There are many books, online, support groups and or free programs provided by nonprofits to help individuals label process and begin to heal from the harm that happen to them.

You can reach out to us to learn more. Many individuals we’ve spoken to state feeling guilt or shame for never reporting the harm to law enforcement. Reporting to law enforcement is an incredibly personal experience, and many individuals may not have felt safe in doing so or were unclear of the potential outcomes of reporting. While you always have a right to file a report with law enforcement at any time, their ability to press charges and prosecute the offense will depend on a variety of factors, including the criminal statute of limitations, which is the length of time each type of crime can be prosecuted after it occurs. Additionally, the criminal legal system is unfortunately often overburdened with reports of sexual violence, forcing the system to focus on the worst offenders and offenses, and given the lack of physical evidence in childhood sexual abuse cases where the survivor reports years later. These offenses are often typically not able to be prosecuted.

However, we encourage survivors to report as their report may help if there is an ongoing investigation or additional reports are filed in the future. Survivors generally cannot control what happens within the criminal legal system after filing a police report, but we believe the act of filing the report can help survivors feel like they’ve done everything they can within the confines of an often limited and unjust criminal legal system. If the harm was perpetrated by a religious clergy member, a teacher, or someone else affiliated with an institution such as a church, school, or youth activities where there was a responsibility by an employer or the institution to provide a safe environment for you, you may be able to file a civil lawsuit to seek monetary compensation. For example, you may have seen the cases against the Catholic Church or the Boy Scouts of America in recent years where lawsuits resulted in multimillion dollar verdicts for victims. Whether filing a civil lawsuit makes sense and is possible depends on a variety of factors and circumstances, Helping Survivors can help you understand your experience, your legal rights, and the options available to you, including connecting you to an experienced childhood sexual abuse attorney to discuss filing a lawsuit. Please reach out to us today if you have any questions as we’re here to help you take the next step in your healing journey.