Sexual Abuse

Sexual Abuse

This is something that needs to be more well known about, since it happens pretty often.

Sexual abuse- aka molestation, is the act of forcing someone to have unwanted sexual relations with another person. When the force is considered immediate, short time, it's called sexual assault. The attacker is called a sexual abuser or offender. But when the forcing is repeated over time, it's called sexual abuse and if the victim is under age of consent, it's called child sexual abuse.

Types of sexual abuse

Non-consensual: forced physical sexual behavior(rape, sexual assault)
Unwanted touching, either of a child or adult
Sexual kissing, fondlingm exposure of genitals, and voyeurism(spying), exhibitionism, and up to sexual assault
Exposing a child to pornography
Saying sexually explicit statements towards a child(molestation)
Also applies to sexual demands towards an adult
The use of a position to compel unwanted sexual activities without force(leads to rape/sexual assault)
Incest(family members forcing other family members to have sexual relations with them)
Certain forms of sexual harassment

Child sexual abuse
-Forcing someone under the age of consent to have sex

Effects of child sexual abuse can include:

• Guilt, self blame
• Flashbacks
• Nightmares
• Insomnia
• Fear of things associated with the abuse(smells, objects, places)
• Self esteem issues
• Sexual dyfunction
• Chronic pain
• Addiction
• Self injury
• Suicidal tendencies
• Somatic complaints
• Depression
• Post traumatic stress disorder
• Anxiety
• Other mental illnesses
• Re-victimiaztion in adult hood

-Victims of child sexual abuse are over 6 times as likely to commit suicide
-Sexual abuse by a family member is a form of incest
-Approximately 15-25% of women and 5-15% of men were sexually assaulted when they were children. Most are acquainted with their victims; approximately 30% are relatives of the child, most often fathers, uncles, or cousins; around 60% are other acquaintances such as friends of the family, babysitters, ir neighbors; strangers are the offenders in about 10% of the cases. Most child sex abuse is committed by men; women commit about 14% of the offenses against boys and 6% against girls.