Consequences and impacts of child sexual abuse
Early experiences can greatly affect how the mind of a child or young person develops.
When someone suffers abuse as a child it can radically shape their emotional development, affecting their sense of self-worth and their ability to trust other people. While long-term impacts will vary from person to person, many individuals experience one or more of the following effects. These effects could be mild, or they could have a significant and even devastating impact on the survivor’s everyday life.
The impacts listed below are all normal and typical reactions to trauma, and they have been experienced by many adult survivors. Often, these responses are the mind’s way of protecting itself from re-living the distressing experience and suffering more pain and upset. It can take so much energy to manage these difficulties that survivors are left with limited energy to engage with opportunities like education, employment, friendship, sport and creativity. Impacts can occur and re-occur at any stage of the survivor’s life.
Difficult emotions
Sometimes survivors feel low, sad, anxious, angry or irritable. They might also experience mood swings, which can include feelings of intense distress and possibly thoughts of suicide.
Feeling alone and difficulty in having healthy relationships
Some survivors find it hard to trust other people and withdraw because of fear of getting hurt. Some expect to be ‘let down’, which in turn can make them more likely to be pulled into difficult or abusive relationships, or to have difficulty trusting services.
Feeling powerless
Survivors might find it hard to assert their own needs or say ‘no’ when necessary.
Sexual difficulties
These could include problems with physical contact and intimacy.
Dissociation
This is when a person sometimes feels detached or disconnected from what’s going on around them, and it’s not unusual among survivors.
‘Flashbacks’
These are very powerful memories of what happened, and might also include nightmares.
Anxiety
This might be feeling fearful of possible danger, having phobias (especially a fear of being in crowds or around strangers), and experiencing panic attacks.
Feelings of shame and guilt
Adult survivors can experience low self-esteem and can feel ‘worthless’, ‘useless’ or ‘not good enough’. Some people can also either expect far too much of themselves or might not expect anything at all.
Memory problems
Some survivors might only remember small fragments of what happened, or may not be able to recall whole periods of their childhood.
This table shows the wider possible impacts
of child sexual abuse on victims and survivors
(Table extract from IICSA The impacts of child sexual abuse: A rapid evidence assessment July 2017, Page 11, Figure 1: CSA victim and survivor outcome areas with example outcomes)