Adult survivors are often isolated and are less satisfied with their relationships than adults who were never abused.Īdults who have been sexually abused as children often carry wounds that are triggered in current relationships which carry similar dynamics to the relationships in which the sexual abuse occurred. Past sexual abuse influences adult relationships in many different ways making it is nearly impossible to achieve a healthy, enduring, and lasting relationship when abuse from the past has not been addressed or appropriately managed. This behavior includes engaging in sex with multiple partners, unprotected sex, being more likely to experience unplanned pregnancies, and contract STDs. Although, for the survivor, negative correlations are usually drawn between sexual abuse and intimacy with a partner, survivors are more likely than non-survivors to engage in risky sex. Intimacy following sexual abuse in childhood can negatively impact desire, arousal, and orgasm as it is often associated with sexual activity, violation, and pain. Therefore, how can a survivor establish and maintain relationships when they struggle with issues of trust? Familial relationships are concrete, you are either family or you are not, there are no gray areas. Interpersonal and romantic relationships are more difficult for survivors as they are more delicate, they must be maintained in order to survive. Relationship between abuser and survivor Age at time abuse began Length of Abuse Cultural influences (some cultures may view sexual abuse as shame to both the family and the victim) Length of the abuse How family members and other trusted adults responded to disclosure or earning of the abuse Whether was any legal consequences for the perpetrator Both immediate and latent physical consequences of the abuse Early therapeutic services for the abuse Previous trauma experiencedįor adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse, interpersonal and romantic relationships can be more difficult to balance than any other relationships in the survivors life. Trauma of Sexual abuse can be Impacted by the Following: Childhood sexual abuse not only robs children of loving, caring years, but continues stealing valuable experiences and healthy coping mechanisms from adult survivors. Survivors consciously and unconsciously think, feel, and behave under the influence of early sexual abuse. This tendency to be victimized repeatedly may be the result of general vulnerability in dangerous situations and exploitation by untrustworthy people. Unfortunately, adult survivors of sexual abuse may be less skilled at self-protection, continuing to retain the perception of victim rather than making the adjustment to survivor. Personal perceptions about self-worth and authenticity of others is typically distorted in a negative way, leading to a dysfunctional cycle that becomes reinforced if left unchanged. Trauma experienced in early childhood can make survivors more vulnerable to cycles of self-defeating talk and actions. Even as adults, survivors of childhood sexual abuse are more likely to view relationships and lifes more difficult moments as insurmountable obstacles. In addition to a distorted worldview, many adult survivors struggle with issues related to trust (trust of others as well as themselves) that can prevent or significantly impact their ability to engage in a healthy committed relationship. The trauma of sexual abuse is multifaceted as it not only involves the sexual abuse but betrayal (if perpetrator was known to survivor prior to the abuse), the feeling of powerlessness (inability to protect oneself against the abuse), stigmatization (being a victim), and sexual trauma (overly sexualized or sexual dysfunctions). Research suggests that the worldviews of adult survivors are often shaped by the sexual trauma enduring during childhood. Survivors of childhood sexual abuse are faced with many emotional and psychological challenges as they transition from childhood to adulthood. Survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) often struggle with the immediate damage resulting from the abuse (in childhood) as well as the latent consequence of the abuse (in adulthood).
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