Child Sexual Abuse

As adults, survivors of child sexual abuse have to overcome many obstacles, and long into their lives find they continue to work on many challenges from the abuse. Abusers don’t realize, or refuse to see, the impact the abuse will have on the child. Children who are abused live with the inside and outside scars for the rest of their lives. This subject, and the research behind it, is important to me because I know many survivors who have struggled with the results of being abused as a child.

According to Oz S. (2006), sexual abuse is described by: inappropriate sexual remarks made to a minor by an adult; ogling of a child or teenager by an adult, an adult’s exposure of his or her sexual organs in view of a minor; peeping at a child or teen

(2006), states most of the time, family members are not aware that abuse is happening or they ignore the abuse. Sometimes members of the family don’t want to face reality. They can put it out of their mind, like it’s not happening at all. If the mother is going through abuse by her husband, sometimes she can turn her head while it’s happening to the children because of fears that she does not want to face.

An adult uses their power to gain some sort of satisfaction from the victim. Oz S. (2006) states that there are four factors that abusers use in exploitation of power.

1. The perpetrator takes advantage of the child’s needs to satisfy his or her own sexual and/or emotional needs.

2. The minor does not possess the cognitive or emotional maturity to give informed consent to the sexual activity.

3. The perpetrator misuses his or her authority or power over the child to obtain the child’s passive, and sometimes active, participation in the sexual situation.

4. The activities occur within the bounds of

(2000) in Erickson’s model of personality development, stage 1: Trust vs. Distrust, ages birth- 1 ½. At this time, it is very important for infants to get the trust they need. It is healthy for their growth and development. If trust does not happen at this stage then the infant won’t be successful during the next stage. If the child suffers from sexual abuse at this stage, the child would not have learned trust appropriately.

Stage 2: Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt, ages 1 ½ -3. At this stage, toddlers are learning to do things on their own and be independent. Toilet training happens at this time too. When someone is sexually abusing a child at this stage the child feels shamed. The shame continued as the individuals turned into adults, often feeling unworthy and never good enough. Sometimes the excessive need to please became the way to survive in the world for them.

Stage 3: Initiative vs Guilt, ages 3-5. At this stage, children can have thoughts on what they want to be, where they want to go, or how to do something. At this stage if sexually abused, the children often believe they did something to deserve the abuse. Now the children become cautious and fearful. As teenagers and adults they become perfectionists, indecisive, and procrastinators. Some also become risk takers by using drugs, alcohol, and excessive sex to