There are many factors that contribute to determining how a young person will develop into a mature adult. This research paper will discuss three of those factors and how they can negatively affect the development of an adolescent male - sexual or physical abuse, self-esteem, and pubertal timing. By the end it will be clear what influences an adolescent’s mental, emotional and physical health, and what makes a male feel capable of being secure in their own skin.
The world we live in focuses primarily on females who have been physically, emotionally or sexually abused as children. However, young males are often overlooked as being victims of sexual abuse. Jozef Wawrzyniec Spychala Spiegel states in the International Journal of Sexual Health that an estimated “16% of males –or approximately 1 out of every 6-are sexually abused prior to the age of 18” (Spiegel, 2008, pp. 147). Research shows several patterns of abuse that adolescent males experience, as well as the devastating effects commonly displayed later in the victims’ lives.
First it is important to establish the definition of abuse. In Spiegel’s study childhood sexual abuse is defined “as (1) any sexualized contact (2) imposed on a male child under the age of 18 (3) that occurred within a relationship where it was viewed as abusive by the boy (4) because of age difference, power differential and/or physical, social or developmental differences (5) and that occurred as a result of perceived threat or force” (Spiegel, 2008, pp. 150).
Spiegel and his team studied 459 male participants, of which 38% had a history of sexual abuse. Using the Sexual Self Concept Scale, participants were asked a series of questions regarding their masculinity, self-esteem and sexual health. The re...
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.... Sexual abuse, early or late pubertal maturity and self-esteem and how it’s affected by mental health. Young males who are sexually assaulted show their inability to grow into mentally stable men. Boys who go through puberty early can get into trouble because they are not mature enough cognitively to make good decisions. And those with low self-esteem show a greater rate of depression in their mental health.
Young men need guidance, structure, and a safe environment in order to progress in a healthy and natural way into adulthood. These components should come from not only their parents and teachers, but especially their peers. Their social networks will play a significant role in who they become as a person. This is especially important to recognize in the field of counseling as we seek to establish healthy parameters in the lives of the clients we work with.
Finkelhor, D., Hotaling, G., Lewis, I., & Smith, C. (1990). Sexual abuse in a national survey of
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.
Sexuality is defined in many ways, for the sake of this papers clarity sexuality will be defined as, sexual feelings and interactions that are defining features of romantic intimacy. (Fering 2009) Child sexual abuse (CSA) is defined in the International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences as "any [sexual] action that is inflicted upon or must be tolerated by a child against their own will or any [sexual] action about which the child cannot make a decision due to their physical, emotional, mental, and verbal inferiority." Statistics for the prevalence of CSA range from anywhere from 15 to 25 percent of women to 5 to 10 percent of men according to Deegener. (2002)
The book uses 12 different narratives from males who confide their life stories, which illustrate the diversity of the abusive experience and their reactions to the tragic incident. This book’s main goal is to gather awareness for victims, survivors and as a learning tool that uses these life stories to help observe the issue further. The text integrates these life stories into several chapter. His first chapter discusses the vulnerability of males and how male sexual abuse is a topic not well-recognized within society. By examining the issue through a psychological and behavioral lens; there is a need to find a relation of the consequences of sexual abuse. It distorts self-perception, perceptions of others and closely examines behavioral/physical indicators, as there is comparison on how males and females disclose traumatic experiences. Further information is given, as to what types of social background that males come from, more vulnerable to sexual abuse come. Although, the bottom line is perceptions and life strategies develop from memories and expectations of the mind. Education can play a key part, by teaching the dangers of sexuality but also explain the positive aspect when sexuality is explored for the content of self-respect and respect of others. Overall, this text is an effective tools for those working with sexually abused males to read, and recognize the difficulties and obstacles faced, and what appropriate strategy can be developed to work further to help cope with the trauma suffered. As well, for victims and survivors it is an inspirational text guided to build resiliency and a feeling of togetherness, that no individual is alone. Lastly, this resource should be available to teachers, mental health workers, and other professions that
Briggs, David., et al. Assessing Men Who Sexually Abuse. United Kingdom: Jessica Kingsly Publishers, 1998.
. “Sexual abuse experiences that are perpetrated by family members or other trusted persons obviously involve more potential for betrayal than those involving strangers” (Browne & Finkelhor, 1985, Pg. 3). The third concept was powerlessness, which can also be disempowerment. The last one is stigmatization, which is the negative connotation such as guilt and shame that the child incorporated into their self-image. Promiscuity and compulsive sexual behaviors are some of the characteristics of CSA victims then they become adolescents or adults. As an adult, the victim may start showing signs of impaired judgment about trustworthiness of other people or become desperate to find a redeeming relationship (Browne & Finkelhor, 1985). This research
Sexual abuse negatively affects a young child’s neurological development. It causes toxic stress, a type of stress which children are unable to manage by themselves. 7 According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, exposure to toxic stress during early childhood can impair and disrupt development of brain circuits, which “can cause an individual to develop a low threshold for stress, thereby becoming overly reactive to adverse experiences throughout life.”8 High levels of stress hormones can also affect the child’s immune system and cause “cog...
A strong incidence of long-term psychological problems exists for survivors of childhood sexual abuse. George (1996) found that adults who had experienced childhood sexual abuse were twice as likely to suffer from mental health disorder when compared to their counterparts who were nor abuse.
This paper outlines the consequences of child sexual abuse (CSA) based on the examination of results from multiple researches previously fulfilled concerning the psychological and physical impact of this crime, information of statistics, warning signs detected, victims’ performances, and emotional state. Sexual abuse causes severe trauma on child victims that will last for the course of their lives, therefore it is critical to identify and improve the therapeutic methods utilized to treat CSA survivors.
Adolescence is a transition which has no fixed time limits. However, the changes that occur at this time are so significant that it is useful to talk about adolescence as a distinct period of human life cycle. This period ranges from biological changes to changes in behavior and social status, thus making it difficult to specify its limits exactly (Damon, 2008). Adolescence begins with puberty, i.e. a series of physiological changes that lead to full development of the sexual organs and the ability to breed and sex. The time interval that elapses begins at 11 to 12 years and extends to 18 to 20. However we cannot associate to a 13 with one 18 years. Let us talk about early adolescence between 11 to 14 years, which coincides with puberty, and after a second period of youth, or late adolescence between 15-20 years. Its extension to adulthood depends on social, cultural, environmental as well as personal adaptation.
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...
Adolescents and children are capable of committing serious sex offenses in spite of their immaturity. Sexually abusive behavior includes but is not limited to non-conta...
Childhood sexual abuse has been and continues to be a major issue in American society. Victims of such trauma can illustrate both short-term and long-term side effects, stemming from the damage endured during childhood. In severe cases, unresolved trauma of sexual abuse can have dire consequences. One of the most infamous and publicized case (cases) that illustrated these dire consequences was the Menendez murders of 1989.
In order to investigate the pathways to resilience of the children who have experienced childhood sexual abuse, we have to delve into the background of child sexual abuse. Child sexual abuse is an ultimate form of abuse, which negatively impacts their functional development. Experiencing childhood sexual abuse at an early age can leave a residual effect on a child that can last through their childhood, adolescence and adulthood period (Himelein & McElrath, 1996).
There are many forms of child maltreatment, including neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, exploitation, and emotional abuse (Child Help).” The three main types of abuse are physical, emotional, and sexual. Abuse can be found in many sorts of ways; most of the time it cannot be seen by human eyes, but nonetheless creates problem for the child. Emotional abuse can be just as traumatizing for a child as physical abuse. It was found that 80% of victims of the age 21 showed some sort of psychological issue later on in life if they had suffered from one of the three types of child abuse early in their childhood. Victims also are 25% more likely for teen pregnancy, and less likely to practice safe sex which increases the spread of sexual transmitted diseases