What is a CSA Survivor

When someone says they’re a CSA survivor, they’re talking about something deeply personal and often something incredibly painful. CSA stands for child sexual abuse. And a CSA survivor is someone who experienced sexual abuse before the age of 18. It’s important to remember that CSA can happen to anyone of any gender, race, background, or religion, and it can be perpetrated by anyone, not just strangers, but also family members, caregivers, teachers, coaches, clergy, or other trusted adults.

Child sexual abuse includes many forms of harm. This might include inappropriate touching, sexual comments or jokes, being shown pornography, coercion, or sexual grooming, and sexual assault or rape. Many CSA survivors don’t fully understand or speak about what happened to them until many years or even decades later. That’s because CSA often involves grooming, manipulation, and fear. Survivors may feel shame, guilt, or even responsibility for what happens when in reality, it is never the child’s fault.

Being a CSA survivor doesn’t mean the abuse defines you. It means you lived through something hard and you’re still here. Some survivors may experience PTSD, anxiety, depression, difficulty with relationships or building trust and flashbacks or emotional numbness. But healing is possible. And no matter how long the vote happened, you still have rights and options. You can seek therapy or support groups. Report what happened to law enforcement. File a civil lawsuit in many states even years later if this makes emotional and financial sense. You can connect with trauma-informed legal assistants and advocates.

If you have questions about your legal rights and options, helping survivors is here to help. Please reach out to us today if you have questions or are seeking information about filing a civil lawsuit related to child sexual abuse.