9 Health Conditions of Adults Sexually Abused as Children
Child sexual abuse is a serious problem and one that occurs more often than we may think. Child sexual abuse refers to the inappropriate sexual interaction between an adult and a child under the age of 18. An estimated 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 20 boys is a victim of sexual abuse, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Sexual abuse may consist of a variety of actions, such as inappropriate touching, exposing oneself to a child, child pornography, sexual intercourse, and more. Child sexual abuse impacts a child physically, emotionally, and psychologically and often also has long-term effects that last into adulthood.
Victims of child sexual abuse in California can call the California child sexual abuse attorney at Beck Law P.C. to learn about their options for recovering financial compensation.
Sexually Abused as Children – Effects of Child Sexual Abuse in Adulthood
Sexual assault as a child can take a toll on you, even as an adult. In fact, many children are not able to deal with the trauma of sexual abuse at the time it occurs. Only much later, after they reach adulthood, do they realize that they are victims of child sexual abuse. Child sexual abuse may cause a number of various issues in adults.
PTSD
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a condition that occurs as the result of a traumatic event, such as sexual abuse.
Eating Disorders
A person may develop an eating disorder as a result of sexual assault as a child. Eating disorders are sometimes an attempt to deal with traumatic situations that a person is unable to resolve.
Anxiety
Anxiety disorder is an overwhelming feeling of dread or panic. When anxiety is severe, it can cause a person to feel unable to go about everyday life. It can overtake all aspects of a person’s thoughts.
Learning Disabilities
A child who is the victim of sexual abuse may have learning disabilities as a result. The child cannot process or verbalize the situation and may lag behind in social and educational development.
Trouble Sleeping
Sometimes, a person who has gone through trauma has difficulty sleeping. They may have trouble falling asleep or wake up numerous times at night.
Relationship/Intimacy Issues
A person who was sexually molested as a child may not be able to form normal relationships with others and might have problems with physical and emotional intimacy as a result.
Trust Issues
Many times, sexual abusers are those we love or respect. People who were abused by those they trusted as a child often develop an inability to trust others.
Low Self-Esteem
When a child is sexually assaulted, they may feel they caused the situation or that they deserved it. As a result, they may have deep-rooted self-esteem issues.
Depression
When a victim of child sex abuse reaches maturity, they may have strong feelings of depression. They may not even realize at first why they have depression, but it could be due to the abuse they suffered as a child.
Dealing With the Effects as Adults Sexually Abused as Children
As an adult, you may need to take steps to resolve trauma as a result of child sexual assault. Therapy is one of the best ways to begin to deal with the issues that were caused by sexual abuse long ago. You will need to learn to accept what happened and find ways to deal with the many resulting problems. In addition, you may be able to take legal action against the perpetrator and the institution where the offender worked. While a lawsuit won’t immediately resolve your trauma, you may feel more empowered once you know that the person who committed the terrible acts against you is brought to justice.
If you are a victim of child sexual assault, you may be able to collect compensation for the harm that was caused. To learn about how to file a child molestation lawsuit, contact our California child sex abuse lawyer at Beck Law for a confidential consultation at (707) 576-7175 today.
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