In children, many symptoms can be different than to adult who is also going through the same thing. Children may behave in a nervous and upset way manner, may act out aspects of the abuse in their play, fear around other and not being able to be themselves around other kids, show-out-of-place sexual behaviors since children can mimic what other do, what they seen or experienced, show any sort of depression and may even isolate themselves or withdraw from family & friends, unhealthy behaviors, such as alcohol, drugs, self-harm, or eating problems and worst one of all; might try to hurt or even kill themselves.
According to an article,” A Conceptual Model of Post-Traumatic Growth among Children and Adolescents in the Aftermath of Sexual Abuse”, mentions that
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most of the research on childhood sexual abuse has rightfully focused on the negative outcomes, it is worth understanding on how some individuals can thrive after experiencing the trauma. According to Megan McElherana, Allison Briscoe-Smithb, Anna Khaylisc, Darrah Westrupd, Chris Haywarde, and Cheryl Gore-Felton, a conceptual model of post-traumatic growth proposes that individuals can experience positive changes post-trauma through the process of the individual’s recovery. The model incorporates social, psychological, and cognitive factors to describe the process of post-traumatic growth, and studies have provided evidence in support of the model among adult and child survivors of diverse types of trauma they had encountered. However, the model is insufficient to describe the post-traumatic growth among child survivors of sexual abuse and therefore present a revised model of post-traumatic growth that considers attachment style, gender, and time since trauma. The implications for research and clinical interventions still not concluded. The model of Post-traumatic Growth that are being used to help those with PTSD and are survivor to any sexual abuse are Attachment styles. In the Attachment Style model its process it when exposed to a traumatic event, children’s pre-trauma belief systems, psychological well-being, temperament, and affective reactivity are all thought to meaningfully interact with their response to the event, and how they make sense of the event once it has passed. The experiment that was made was; the three attachment styles have been identified which they are secure, ambivalent, and avoidant. Securely attached children evidenced clear preference for parents over strangers, and parents are consistently engaged and actively involved with their children. Ambivalently attached children display distress upon their parents’ departure, but refuse contact with parents upon their return. These parents are inconsistently reliable with their children. Finally, avoidant children do not differentiate between parent and stranger, and avoid contact with their parents.
These parents are not responsive to their children’s needs. According to McElherana and Briscoe-Smith, gender influences how adults interact with children and adolescents. For instance, boys are more likely to be punished using physical methods. Moreover, research has shown that boys experience physical abuse 50% more than girls, whereas girls are twice as likely to be sexually abused. We know that trauma can have profound effects on one’s self-esteem. Therefore, it is important to understand how gender interacts with sexual trauma; particularly one’s ability to recover. It may be that certain components of PTG have differential effects on gender. Our proposed model incorporates the interaction of gender with trauma exposure, there by influencing PTG (McElherana & Briscoe-Smith, p.78). Lastly, the time since trauma, the passage of time itself, therefore, becomes a predictor of PTG. For childhood sexual abuse, the passage of time is important given the development milestones that need to occur for children and adolescents. For instance, sexual trauma can disrupt one’s sense of trust in others, distort one’s sense of personal boundaries, and cause a psychic need to recreate
the traumatic experience in an attempt to gain mastery and control. Reading this article, recovery from sexual trauma is often a long process that for many individuals occurs over the life span. Developing conceptual models that enable mental health providers to understand pathways that facilitate recovery can influence practice, thereby maximizing positive outcomes in the aftermath of sexual trauma. Clinical practice that considers PTG as an outcome may speed recovery time, enabling individuals to develop healthy emotional, social, and occupational functioning that is sustained over the course of their lives.
Romero-Martinez A, Figueiredo B, Moya-Albiol L. Childhood history of abuse and child abuse potential: The role of parent's gender and timing of childhood abuse. Child Abuse & Neglect March 2014; 38(3).Print
The effects of abuse tend to vary with different children but any type of abuse can cause serious damage. Not all children display the same responses to physical and emotional abuse. A few of the typical emotional responses include; showing excessive fear, extreme anger, low self-esteem, and an inability to trust adult figures. In contrast a few physical responses are difficulties developing speech patters, difficulties getting involved with other ch...
Sexual abuse cannot be clearly defined with ease. In fact, sexual abuse is an umbrella term for any sort of situation, whether or not it involves physical contact, in which a sexually immature child is exposed to anything sexual in nature. Because no child is psychologically mature enough for sexual stimulation, the complex feelings associated with it are mentally and emotionally disfiguring. Children who have been sexually abused experience an array of negative emotions such as shame, guilt and anger, and may display oddly withdrawn or distrustful behaviors. They cannot help but feel that they somehow brought the abuse unto themselves (Saisan, et al). One major contributing factor to these severe psychological consequences is the concept of trust. Sexual abuse is, in most cases, committed by a parent or other trusted adult figure. While children are naïve on such adult topics, they can still get an overwhelming feeling that the attention is wrong, yet they are unsure of how to cope with it. If the child has an emotional atta...
An estimated 39 million survivors of childhood sexual abuse exist in America today (Darness2Light, 2009a ). This figure continues to grow daily as perpetrators of this crime continue in this destructive path. The definition of child sexual abuse is the force, coercion, or cajoling of children into sexual activities by a dominant adult or adolescent. Sexual abuse of children includes touching (physical) sexually including: fondling; penetration (vaginal or anal using fingers, foreign objects or offenders organs; oral sex, or non-physical contact including: sexual comments; indecent exposures; masturbating in a child’s presence; child prostitution or child pornography (Child Welfare, 2009a).
Children who have been abused are left with more than just physical scars. They have many psychological, emotional, and behavioral problems as well. Their social lives are affected dramatically, and they suffer lifelong effects. (Lambert) Children tend to be emotionally disturbed years after the abuse, many have IQ scores lower than average, and some have even been classified as mentally retarded. Children who have been abused also show signs of personality and neurological changes. (Oates 119) Sexual abuse has been linked to nightmares, bed wetting, sadness, clinging behavior, and anxiety. Children also showed more aggressive and anti-social behaviors. (Oates 127) Adults who were sexually abused are more prone to depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and drug or alcohol problems. (Oates 132-133) Studies show overwhelming evidence of the effects abuse can have on a child, and the way the effects continue into their adult lives. (Oates 135)
Child abuse is a serious issue in today's society. Many people have been victims of child abuse. There are three forms of child abuse: physical, emotional, and sexual. Many researchers believe that sexual abuse is the most detremental of the three. A middle-aged adult who is feeling depressed will probably not relate it back to his childhood, but maybe he should. The short-term effects of childhood sexual abuse have been proven valid, but now the question is, do the long-term effects of childhood sexual abuse affect middle-aged adults? Many contradicting views arise from the subject of childhood sexual abuse. Researchers and psychologists argue on this issue. Childhood sexual abuse has the potential to damage a child physically, emotionally, and behaviorally for the rest of his or her childhood, and the effects have been connected to lasting into middle-aged adulthood.
Children experience decreased development in the left brain when traumatic events occur (Network, n.d.). Imagine being a child and growing up with these types of events occurring. A traumatic event in a child’s life can cause a child to experience a long lasting negative effect. Life events are happening everywhere and more often in the lives of children (Understanding Child Traumatic Stress, n.d.). Trauma can cause them to do three things. First, they try to see what the danger is and how serious it is. Secondly there are strong emotional and physical reactions. Thirdly they attempt to come up with what to do that can help them with the danger. Traumatic events can cause a child to develop differently, which effects the young child stage,
Researchers define post-traumatic growth as an ongoing and dynamic process, not as a point of dramatic change, which
A survivor of sexual assault, Amita Swadhin experienced years of abuse by her parents throughout her childhood, including eight years of rape by her father. But last Thursday, loud applause filled the theater hall when Swadhin, now a sexual assault survivor, came on stage and introduced herself with a soft-spoken, sophisticated tone of voice. There were almost no empty chairs left in the hall. The warm welcome quickly transformed into a thoughtful silence that reflected the sensitivity of the topic.
Abuse in child can differ from physical, emotional, mental, sexual and neglect. The effects of child abuse vary between children these effects can be long lasting. Some of these problems can be psychological such as anxiety, depression, academic problems in school, withdrawn and difficulty connecting with others, and can even experience flashbacks and post-traumatic stress. They also have physical effects such as bruises, sprains, fractures, poor hygiene and inappropriate dress. Children living in an environment that is full of fear and violence develop poor coping skill some of these coping skills can be eating disorders, drug use risky sexual decision and self-harm. Some children fall into a cycle of abuse and become abusers themselves. Each child can experience one or more
Short-term children will usually have an immediate response to a disaster consisting of what Baggerly describes, the five basic realms. The five basic realms are, physically children may complain of stomach/headache, children may lack the ability to pay attention or become easily muddled, emotionally children may become dejected and easily frightened, behaviorally kids might begin wetting their bed, sucking their thumb, become more introverted or become dependent, and lastly children may spiritually question their belief in God (Meyers, 2014). Long term victims can often feel as though their body really doesn’t belong to them after being sexually abused. Sexually abused victims may sometimes be left with feelings of guilt, depression, shame, terror and often feel they are the ones to blame for the assault.
It is most important to understand that children and teens of all racial, religious, ethnic, gender and age groups, at all socio-economic levels are sexually abused. Although there are risk factors that may increase the possibility of sexual abuse, sex abuse can be found in all types of families, communities, and cultures (The Scope of, 2016). Childhood sexual abuse is an important issue to address because the impact of sexual does not end when the abuse ends. Childhood trauma follows into adulthood and can have long-range effects. “Survivors of sexual abuse are at significantly greater risks for severe and chronic mental health issues, including alcoholism, depression, anxiety, PTSD and high risk behaviors” (The Scope Of, 2016). Victims may experience traumatic sexualization, or the shaping of their sexuality in “developmentally inappropriate” and “interpersonally dysfunctional” ways (Effects of Child, 2012). “A child who is the victim of prolonged sexual abuse usually develops low self-esteem, a feeling of worthlessness and an abnormal or distorted view of sex. The child may become withdrawn and mistrustful of adults, and can become suicidal” (Effects of Child, 2012). Overall, the effects and impact of childhood sexual abuse are long lasting and do not diminish when the abuse ends, their childhood trauma follows them into
Trauma in children is quite prevalent especially due to the number of arenas where children can be traumatized, as mentioned above. The different situations as well as the kind of the trauma will, in many cases determine the impact the trauma causes along with the aftermath of it on the child. Common circumstances, worldwide, known to cause trauma may include: • Natural catastrophes such as a fire, flood, earthquake • Personal attack by someone resulting to physical or emotional harm ; bullying, kidnaping, rape • Witness to any form of violence • Abuse either sexual, physical, emotional or otherwise • War in their countries • Abandonment • Accident • Serious illness, surgery According to Gerry, V. (2008), there are three major types of
Trauma is not the same as stress or going through a crisis. According to Lewis (1999), trauma exists when an event/ experience is sudden, horrifying and unexpected to the victim. It is during this time that a person believes that they, or those around them will be injured or could die (Lewis, 1999). Feelings associated to trauma include fear, helplessness and a lack of control of the situation (Lewis, 1999). Everyone experiences trauma in different ways, and have their own subjective meanings to what a traumatic event is.
Underage trauma refers to trauma that was experienced by an individual under the age of 18 years old. The term “trauma” is defined as “an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, rape, or natural disaster” and is experienced “immediately after the event (American Psychological Association, 2014, par 1). Although there are many types of trauma I will only be discussing the following: child maltreatment and neglect, bullying, rape/sexual assault, and teen dating violence since these types are considered victims since the trauma was outside their control and the trauma was perpetrated by someone the child or youth knew or was a stranger to him or her.