Psychological Effects of Sexual Abuse
 

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Children who suffer from sexual abuse seldom report it to others, sometimes because of fear of relation from the abuser and sometimes because they fear being blamed for it. Often the symptoms of abuse are masked and are manifested in the form of school problems, fear or eating or sleeping problem. These changes can have many causes, so more direct evidence is needed to confirm a case of sexual abuse. No single behavioral pattern cam determine the case of child sexual abuse. Sometimes a pediatrician discovers physical evidence of sexual abuse.

• Child survivors of sexual abuse are at an increased risk of a wide range of psychological problems and complaints including anxiety, anger and aggressive behavior, eating disorders, self destructive behavior including suicide attempts, lack of trust, low self-esteem, social withdrawal, psychosomatic problems such as stomach aches and headaches and sexual dysfunctions in adulthood.
   

• Regressive behavior in the form of thumb sucking, bed wetting, recurrences of childhood fears, such as fear of dark or strangers, are not uncommon.
   

• Late adolescence and early adulthood are particularly difficult times for survivors of child sexual abuse, as unresolved feelings of anger and guilt and a deep sense of mistrust can prevent the expected development of an intimate relationship.
   

• Sexually abused girls may also suffer from hormonal and possible immunological problems. It is found that sexually abused girls produced an excess level of stress hormones (epinephrine and nor-epinephrine) and the neurotransmitters (dopamine) which can be taken as a sign that the body is overstressed or hyper aroused.
   

• Adolescents who were sexually abused during childhood are more likely than their non abused peers to become delinquent, suicidal and sexually active. Psychological distress can be enduring, lasting well into middle or even late adulthood.
   

• Some child survivors retreat into a personal fantasy world or refuse to leave the house.
   

• Childhood sexual abuse is also linked to the later development of borderline personality disorder.
   

• Many survivors of childhood sexual abuse develop post traumatic stress disorder during childhood   or later in life, or show such signs of the disorder in the form of flash backs, nightmares, emotional numbing and feelings of detachment from others.
   

• Although the effects of child sexual abuse are common, they appear to be greater among survivors who were abused by their family members such as their father or step fathers, who may have been abused at an earlier age, who were subjected to penetration, who suffered more prolonged and severe abuse, or who were forced to submit or threatened with physical force.
   

• It has been seen that those who blame themselves for the abuse experienced greater psychological consequences, such as depression and low self esteem, than those who did not.
   

• When the offender is a father or other family member, the effects of abuse are amplified by the deep feelings of the betrayal of trust by the offender as well as by their mothers or other family members whom they perceive as having failed to protect them. They may  feel powerless in controlling their bodies or their lives and may find it difficult to ever develop a trusting relationship in adulthood.