According to RAINN, 93% of childhood sexual abuse survivors personally know their abuser.In 2015, the total lifetime economic burden of childhood sexual abuse in the US was estimated to be at least $9.3 billion, according to the CDC.According to the CDC, about 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 13 boys will be sexually abused before the age of 18.A therapist may be able to help you understand the adult symptoms of childhood sexual abuse that you may be experiencing and can help safely access past trauma in a controlled environment through talk therapy, age regression, hypnosis, and other methods. If you have experienced any of the aforementioned symptoms and think that you may have repressed memories of being sexually abused as a child, finding a trusted mental health practitioner is the best way to unlock repressed memories due to child sex abuse. In most instances, survivors of child sex abuse will remember at least part of the awful things that happened. Repressed memories may reemerge in adulthood as feelings of disgust or repulsion, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts. Sex abuse survivors may experience repressed memories due to severe emotional distress, physical trauma, or because they did not understand they were being sexually abused as a child. While not having memories of parts of childhood is normal, memory loss and memory repression is a common coping mechanism for survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Difficulty establishing or maintaining intimate relationships.Compulsive or inappropriate sexual behaviors.Intrusive or disturbing thoughts about sex.Experiencing negative feelings when touched.Chronic pain, especially in the abdomen and pelvic area.More likely to live an inactive lifestyle.Eating disorders, including bulimia and anorexia.Prone to social introversion and alienation.Avoidant or ambivalent coping mechanisms.Difficulty establishing boundaries with others.Childhood sex abuse survivors who experienced repeated acts of sex abuse, physical violence, threats, and incest are more likely to suffer from more pronounced symptoms in their everyday life as an adult.
Some victims of childhood sexual abuse may subconsciously repress memories of the abuse, which may resurface in adulthood as negative feelings or anxiety. Creating, owning, or sharing child pornographyĪdult Manifestations of Childhood Sexual AbuseĬhildhood sex abuse affects each survivor differently, but the trauma from being sexually abused as a child may take a toll on the survivor’s mental and physical health, relationships, and more for years to come.Inappropriate phone calls, text messages, or online messages.Masturbation in the presence of a minor or forcing a minor to masturbate.Childhood sex abuse is often physical but can also be mental and emotional. Holding the abuser accountable through a sex abuse lawsuit can assist the survivor with the healing processĪccording to the Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network (RAINN), child sex abuse can be defined as any sexual activity that involves a minor, as a child cannot consent to any form of sexual behavior.Adults survivors of sexual abuse may experience mental, physical, sexual, and interpersonal manifestations of past abuse.Childhood sexual abuse affects victims differently and trauma or repressed memories may resurface many years later.