Introduction
Child sexual abuse refers to the abuse of a child’s sexual simulation for personal pleasure, especially by adults or older adolescents. Child sexual abuse can occur in different settings including in school. The abuse can also take many forms including fondling, child prostitution, child marriages, and child genital penetration among other cruel forms. Child sexual abuse can also encompass the exposure of children to sexual videos and photos, acts like masturbation, exhibitionism and exposing a sexual intercourse act to a minor ("Child Sexual Abuse: MedlinePlus", 2016).
Purpose Statement
This paper aims to uncover the degree of childhood sexual abuse and its pervasiveness. Most importantly, the article highlights the causes of CSA, the long-term impact of sexual abuse especially in the early years of an individual’s life, how it affects the victims’ adult relationship with the opposite sex and even their likelihood of enjoying a normal sexual life. This topic is one of the most avoided topics hence; there has been a reluctance to acknowledge the actual reality of the extensiveness of child sexual abuse, which has resulted in uncountable deaths of over 100,000 children.
Methodology
For this article, PsycInfo database will be used as the main source of the relevant literature. The search keywords which will be used include; childhood sexual abuse, long-term effects of CSA, definition of CSA, and outcomes. Later on, journal articles and even online books will be searched for additional information. The reference lists from other reliable databases will be critically reviewed for any additional information
Literature Review
As stated by the NCANDS (National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System), roughly 10% of substantiated or even confirmed cases concerning child molestation included numerous childhood sexual abuse, hence confirming the higher than expected prevalence of these cases in most regions (GLASSER, 2001).
A study of the same was conducted by USDHHS (United States Department of Health and Human Services) in 2007, and it was discovered that over 100,000 children victims suffer sexual abuse. The study also confirmed that there are more cases of childhood sexual abuse which go unreported to the authorities due to various cultural and social reasons (GLASSER, 2001).
In a journal by the AHA (American Humane Association) compiled in 2013, the association revealed that the outcomes of childhood sexual abuse went far beyond the childhood age ("Child Sexual Abuse," 2016). The article pinpointed that CSA resulted in the loss of trust, self-abuse behavior and even guilt. The abused children, therefore, suffered depression, anti-social actions, confusion regarding the child’s identity within the social functions and a destroyed self-esteem among other conditions.
In trying to find out the effects of CSA on the later lives of the victims, the journal compiled by the NCVC (National Center for Victims of Crime) revealed the short-term and long-term devastating impacts of CSA. In the journal, CSA resulted to children who have been abused feeling completely powerless, distrustful and even ashamed of themselves, hence a disrupted developmental pattern. Additionally, the short term effects include the adoption of regressive behaviors, academic performance problems, eating disorders and sleep disorders among other outcomes ("Additional Facts and Resources", 2016). In the long term context, the children demonstrated self-destructive actions like drug abuse and alcohol consumption, and fear, suspicions and even repulsiveness to individuals with the same characteristics as the abusers. The characteristics may include natural accents and even accents.
In a 2010 Pandora report, the author, who is also a survivor of childhood sexual abuse confirms that the feeling gets even worse when an individual is in her twenty, the thirties and even fifties. The author states that as one grows, they are likely to harbor experiences which propel reminders of the past incidence. The survivors, in their adulthood, are more susceptible to feelings and ideals concerning their pasts and may, therefore, face difficulties in ever engaging in culturally, legally and socially permitted sexual activities at any point in time ("Older People Surviving Child Sexual Abuse", 2010).
Through the critical evaluation of the different literature reviews regarding the questions of sexual abuse, it is, therefore, evident that due to the physical and mental disorientations which result from sexual abuse in childhood, it is unlikely for these victims to engage in sexual activity at any point in time.
Implications for Future Research
The topic of childhood sexual abuse is one that many people find difficulty reporting or even speaking about it due to the shame involved and even possible victimization of the affected children. In this regards, a closer analysis of this topic will surely offer useful insights to future researchers regarding the topic. Additionally, through the statistics offered by the USDHHS and the NCANDS, the future researcher will, therefore, be able to find a quantitative analysis of the majority of innocent children affected by inhuman child perpetrators. Finally, this topic will enable the future researchers to come up with informed decisions regarding how childhood sexual abuse can be prevented, and the important strategies which can be undertaken to try and alleviate the mental conditions resulting as a result of the same.
References
Additional Facts and Resources. (2016). Victimsofcrime.org. Retrieved 25 April 2016, from https://victimsofcrime.org/media/reporting-on-child-sexual-abuse/additional-facts-and-resources
Child Sexual Abuse. (2016). Americanhumane.org. Retrieved 25 April 2016, from http://www.americanhumane.org/children/stop-child-abuse/fact-sheets/child-sexual-abuse.html
Child Sexual Abuse: MedlinePlus. (2016). Nlm.nih.gov. Retrieved 25 April 2016, from https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/childsexualabuse.html
GLASSER, M. (2001). Cycle of child sexual abuse: links between being a victim and becoming a perpetrator. The British Journal Of Psychiatry, 179(6), 482-494. http://dx.doi.org/10.1192/bjp.179.6.482
Older People Surviving Child Sexual Abuse. (2010). Pandora's Aquarium. Retrieved from http://www.pandys.org/articles/oldersurvivorsofchildsexualassault.html
