Children who were victims of sexual abuse have a long road ahead of them as they try to heal. Unfortunately, this is going to entail both physical and emotional healing. Many of the physical aspects will heal long before the mental ones. These innocent children will likely need long-term counseling to try to overcome the emotional trauma.
Some estimates note that 12 to 18% of men and 28 to 33% of women experienced sexual abuse during their adolescence or childhood. This doesn’t include anything other than events that include physical touches, so the figures might be much higher in reality.
One of the primary reasons why childhood sexual abuse is so atrocious is that these young people aren’t physically or mentally ready for this type of intimate contact. They are forced to cope with things that they can’t truly comprehend.
Depression is one of the most common problems that victims will face. They may have problems trusting people and could suffer from anxiety. Some victims suffer from eating disorders and self-harm tendencies. Blaming themselves can lead to guilt and shame. Even if they are told that this wasn’t their fault, they might still think it was.
The negative messages that they are giving themselves is often a primary concern during therapy. These can spiral out of control quickly and must be addressed swiftly.
Many victims won’t ever be able to fully leave therapy even though they might be able to space out the appointments some as time progresses. The lifetime cost is considerable, but seeking compensation might help them to cover the expense.
