The Detrimental Impact of Child Sexual Abuse: A Comprehensive Review

This essay delves into the multifaceted impact of child sexual abuse (CSA) on the mental and physical well-being of children. It examines the prevalence of CSA, highlighting the significant number of children affected globally, as reported by the WHO and other organizations. The discussion explores the effects on care providers and the prevalence of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among victims, differentiating between the mental conditions of abused and non-abused children. The essay analyzes the long-term consequences of CSA, including suicidal tendencies and abnormal sexual functioning, and emphasizes the importance of early intervention and support for survivors. The assignment also considers the effects of prolonged sexual abuse, the role of education, and the need for mass mobilization to address this critical social issue. The essay also highlights the necessity of mental health recuperation facilities for care providers dealing with victims of child sexual abuse.

Running head: IMPACT OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE
IMPACT OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
Discussion........................................................................................................................................3
Effects of working as care providing professionals dealing with victims of child sexual abuse 3
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder of the child victims of sexual abuse..........................................4
Difference in the level of mental conditions between abused and non abused children.............5
Effects of sexual abuse for a prolonged period of time...............................................................7
Long term effects of child sexual abuse of familial and extra-familial nature............................8
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................9
References......................................................................................................................................10

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Introduction
Child sexual abuse like all other forms of sexual abuse is a form of non consensual
violation of the physical modesty, and it is a special category as it is perpetrated on the children.
There are a lot of negative repercussions of it and is not just a personal problem but a social
problem as such which must be solved. In this particular research essay the aim is to provide an
account of the various problems or negative impacts of the social issue of child sexual abuse.
This is the major and the central research question. However in order to give a touch of
coherence to the research paper the discussion shall be divided into several sections which shall
be dealing with several key research questions answering the central research question. Those
research questions to be dealt in the section of discussion are a follows:-
- Effects of working as care providing professionals dealing with victims of child sexual
abuse
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder of the child victims of sexual abuse
- Difference in the level of mental conditions between abused and non abused children
- Effects of sexual abuse for a prolonged period of time
- Long term effects of child sexual abuse of familial and extra-familial nature

3IMPACT OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE
Discussion
Effects of working as care providing professionals dealing with victims of child sexual
abuse
On the basis of a qualitative interview conducted upon a sample consisting of 22 care
providing professionals dealing with victims of child sexual abuse it has been found out that the
trauma of sexual abuse is a contagious issue (Murray, Nguyen & Cohen, 2014). It is contagious
in the sense that it can affect the mental health conditions of both the victim and the care
provider as well. On the basis of the interview conducted, the findings tend to indicate that the
care givers are likely to suffer from emotional and psychological trauma as result of coming
across the horrific incidents that the victims face, and thus they have necessitated for the
provision of metal health recuperation facilities for them as well in order to deal with the
occupational hazard that they incur (Fong et al., 2017).
In this regard the role to be played by the care givers as opined by Hanson and Wallis,
(2018) must be provided. Although the role played by care givers for the sake of the benefit of
the child sex abuse survivors is extremely taxing both physically as wel as metaally, their
contribution is however inevitable. There are few symptons of behavioural disorders such as
facimg of difficulty in sleeping all alone, getting of nightmares, or fear of darkness, bed-wetting
out of fear, prolonged and chronic bouts of sadness, sudden anger outburst or total withdrawal
from any form of social gatherings et cetera which tends to indicate that the child is in need of
more care and these signs must be taken note of by the care providers involved with victims of
child sex abuse (Wolfe, Gentile & Wolfe, 1989). Apart from that there are other steps well which
could be taken such as the education dissemination about good touch and bad touch, sexually

4IMPACT OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE
explicit behaviour and the ones which are not from the grass-root level of family and school
through proper sex education is extremely important and must be disseminated thoroughly to
incite mass sensitization and put an end to the social problem of sexual abuse of the children.
Education is the key to ensuring that the issue could be prevented and also treated properly
(Hanson & Wallis, 2018).
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder of the child victims of sexual abuse
One of the definitional categories of describing the mental condition that the children
who have undergone sexual abuse been rendered with is that of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
It is a mental condition which has been defined on the basis of conducting an analysis of 71 cases
of sexual abuse faced by children. The severity of the Post Traumatic Stress disorder is highly
dependent upon the kind of sexual assault that has been faced by the child. The instance of rape
and combat has been considered to be cases which are more likely to cause trauma than other
forms of sexual abuse (Wolfe, Gentile & Wolfe, 1989).
This particular point can be substantiated by the views of Cashmore and Shackel. They
have opined that the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder of the child victims of sexual abuse can be
of physical nature as well apart from being emotional and mental in nature. The health hazards
could be either long term or of short term. The emotional problem that the victims of sexual
abuse during the period of childhood is supposed to face is result of the complexity of the
emotional, behavioural, cognitive and social factors which tends to create the interplay in leading
to the abnormality of the behaviour which can be solved by means of counselling but in most
cases the horrors of the memories cannot be erased in entirety. With regard to the physical
problems it can be said that the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder among the child victims of sexual
abuse can also prolong as per the views of Cashmore and Shackel, and they can be of varied

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nature. The most notable physical ailments that the victims of sexual abuse are likely to incur can
involve chronic pain syndromes, ischemic heart disease, chronic lung disease, cancer,
fibromyalgia and irritable bowel movements. The other forms of physical ailments involve
osteoarthritis, heart ailments, chronic spinal pains and frequent headaches, and thus the victims
are likely to remain ill for most of their lives and they might as well be in need of multiple
surgeries to deal with the ailments. In the females the problems can be quite grave and can also
lead to serious issues such as accidentally incurred pregnancy which shall not be properly
aborted and can also lead to premature commencement of period cycles. There are general issues
which can affect both the male and the female physical and mental health problems but the
physical health problems of the females can be specific and quite problematic which are
definitely distinct from that of the issue faced by male sexual assault survivors given the
biological deterministic aspects and the anatomical construct. With regard to the mental health
issues it can be said that they could have an adverse impact on the physical health as well. The
brain development of the child can be seriously affected and the improper functioning of the
brain can lead to abnormal neuro-endocrine and immunological responses which has both a
physical and emotional undertone to it (Cashmore & Shackel, n.d.).
Difference in the level of mental conditions between abused and non abused children
On the basis of the researches published from the year 1987, there has been a marked
increase in the amount of researches on child sexual abuse focusing on the negative effects of it
on the mental health and psychological disorder incurred. The researches also have tended to hint
at the fact that even after moving into the stage of adulthood, the memories of sexual abuse are
still likely to suffer from the trauma and that is evident in their state of mind characterized by
chronic depression and their behavioural propensity of being less socially active along with that

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the likelihood to indulge in self harming and even addictive habits. A child sexual abuse survivor
is more likely to face these than a person who has not faced sexual abuse as a child (Polusny &
Follette, 1995). In the year 2002, as per the World Health Organization estimates it has been
found out that at around 150 million young girls and at around 73 million young boys who were
under 18 years of age had been experienced in various forms of sexually violative and abusive
treatments. As per the reports of the United States Department of Justice and The Centre for
Disease Control on the basis of survey conducted by their studies it has been found out that 11%
of underage girls and 4% of underage boys who had been studying in high school level had been
forced to indulge in non consensual sexual activities at some point of time or the other in their
lives (Singh, Parsekar, & Nair, 2014). This tends to indicate that the girls have been more prone
to sexual exploitation than the boys and that they are vulnerable. The issue of child sexual abuse
is even more aggravated because of neglect and stigma. The issues of low level of family support
and high stress factor caused due to low level of parental education, high levels of poverty, single
parenthood, domestic violence, low caregiver warmth and concern are some of the reasons why
child sex abuse persists (Murray, Nguyen, & Cohen, 2014).
As opined by Cashmor and Shackel opine that the series of exploitaions and the
violations that a child incurs that outarges the physical modesty of a child are likely to not induge
in behaviour which involves a sense of submission in the act of seekimg sexual pleasure, it can
also lead to the propensity of indulging in non sexual behaviour which shall be having the
undertone of submission to it. The element of submission or victimhood is internaized in such a
way that the victims of sexual abuse during their childhood are likely to indulge in actions of self
harmingc such as resorting to harmful habits of consuming narcotics and even suicidal attempts
(Cashmore & Shackel, n.d.). To substantiate the point made by Cashmore and Shackel, the views

7IMPACT OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE
of Collin-Vézina, Daigneault and Hébert (2013) can be provided who have opined that the
victims of child sexual abuse are more likely to indulge in harmful sexual self stimulation
precociously and that can be accompanied buy more hazardous sexual activities which can be
violent and harmful to the body, and these propensities are much more in the ones who have
undergone sexual violation as a child than the ones who have not faced it. Collin-Vézina,
Daigneault, & Hébert (2013) have provided certain solutions to dela with the problem and that is
oriented towrads the steps that can be taken to reach out to the chidren belonging to all sectios of
the society and not just a specific portion of the society. This particularp,an however hab been
higly criticized as it has put the onus of respsonobility of delaing with the victims on the hands of
a chosen few when child sexual violation is a social issue which has greater social repurcussions
and there is a need to bring about mass mobilization, educating of the masses, sensitization of te
masses, empowering of the victims and their families as well (Collin-Vézina, Daigneault, &
Hébert, 2013).
Effects of sexual abuse for a prolonged period of time
Sexual abuse on children is not just likely to cause the mental trauma to prolong even in
the stage of adulthood but can also drive the victim to incur suicidal tendencies and render them
to battle with abnormal sexual functioning. With regard to the abnormal sexual functioning it can
be said that it is described as post sexual abuse syndrome, which is an expression of multiple of
borderline personality disorder (Collin-Vézina, Daigneault & Hébert, 2013). Prolonging in the
case of sexual abuse faced the children can have two dimensions, one is the prolonging of the
mental trauma and the other is the prolonging of the act of sexual abuse for a long period of time.
In that case the intensity of the post sexual abuse trauma involving suicidal tendencies and
abnormal sexual functioning can be quite grave. The situations can be even worse if the act is

8IMPACT OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE
perpetrated by a close family member with whom the bonding is supposed to be of emotional in
nature despite not being biological (Murray, Nguyen & Cohen, 2014). For example, cases which
involve the sexual abuse by a step father perpetrated in form of penetration for a long period of
time with the application of force and threat can worsen the mental health conditions to a great
extent (Beitchman et al., 1992).
Long term effects of child sexual abuse of familial and extra-familial nature
It is not always that the victim of sexual abuse as a child is likely to suffer from abnormal
sexual functioning, in some cases the victim can be driven towards promiscuity as a result of
internalization of abuse as fetish. Such behavioural predispositions are likely to prolong even
beyond the pre puberty and the post puberty stage (Hailes et al., 2019). The most comprehensive
form of expressing the fetishization of the abuse and identification of oneself as a victim in the
act of sexual intercourse is personality development disorder. The medical terms of trichologia,
onychophagia, enuresis, encopresis, asthenic syndrome, sub-depressive syndrome, obsessive
fears and dysmorphophobia can be used to explain the situation faced by victims of sexual abuse
who have undergone it as a child (Murray, Nguyen & Cohen, 2014). These terms can be
collectively used to describe the hypermotivity or hyper neuroticism experienced by the victims
of sexual abuse as children. The sexual abuse which has been incurred by the children by
members belonging to the family has repercussions which are way more serious compared to the
ones perpetrated by the ones perpetrated by the ones who are not a part of the family. This hints
at the fact that the emotions of the children when gets hurt it tends to deal a severe blow to the
psychology of the children and that causes them to incur the sense of victimhood and other
emotional trauma (Fleming, Mullen & Bammer, 1997). The fetishization of abuse as a role to be
played in the act of sexual intercourse is a serious issue and can be triggered by prolonging of

9IMPACT OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE
sexual abuse by the members of family as well as by persons not belonging to the family alike.
This situation or rather psychological problem of the role identification disorder is defined as a
case of sex role identification disorder and that can prolong itself for a period of time which can
span from the stage of puberty to even adulthood (Ivanov, Platonova & Kozlovskaya, 2015).
Conclusion
Child sexual abuse can be connected with a broad range of harmful causes for the victims
all through-out their lives. The range of research which has been made till the present times in
the topic of Child Sexual Abuse tends to indicate that the sexually abused children are likely to
face various kinds of mental, emotional and physical backlashes which could be socially,
sexually, behavioural, health-wise, and mentally oriented problems. As it is, it has been
witnessed that the rate of re-victimization has increased and the observed levels of the risk
factors among the survivors have also been demonstrated in the scholarly literatures pertaining to
the cases of both the male and female children. The abovementioned literature review has
provided some helpful notes, evidences and suggestions through which the course of future
interventions could be easily shaped for reduction and fighting against the social menace of
Child Sexual Abuse.

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References
Beitchman, J. H., Zucker, K. J., Hood, J. E., DaCosta, G. A., Akman, D., & Cassavia, E. (1992).
A review of the long-term effects of child sexual abuse. Child abuse & neglect, 16(1),
101-118.
Cashmore, J., & Shackel, R. (n.d.). The long-term effects of child sexual abuse. Retrieved from
https://aifs.gov.au/cfca/publications/long-term-effects-child-sexual-abuse/export
Collin-Vézina, D., Daigneault, I., & Hébert, M. (2013). Lessons learned from child sexual abuse
research: prevalence, outcomes, and preventive strategies. Child and Adolescent
Psychiatry and Mental Health, 7(22), 1-9.
Fleming, J., Mullen, P., & Bammer, G. (1997). A study of potential risk factors for sexual abuse
in childhood. Child Abuse & Neglect, 21(1), 49–58.
Fong, H. F., Bennett, C. E., Mondestin, V., Scribano, P. V., Mollen, C., & Wood, J. N. (2017).
The impact of child sexual abuse discovery on caregivers and families: a qualitative
study. Journal of interpersonal violence, 0886260517714437.
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abuse: an umbrella review. Lancet Psychiatry, 6, 830-839.
Hanson, R. F., & Wallis, E. (2018). Treating Victims of Child Sexual Abuse. The American
Journal of Psychiatry, 175(11), 1064-1070.
Ivanov, M., Platonova, N., & Kozlovskaya, G. (2015). Long-term mental health consequences of
child sexual abuse. European Psychiatry, 30, 1208.

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Singh, M. M., Parsekar, S. S., & Nair, S. N. (2014). An Epidemiological Overview of Child
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