Adult Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse - Overview Paper

Adult Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse - Overview Paper

What is Child Sexual Abuse?

Although there are many descriptions of childhood sexual abuse, for the purpose of this document it is considered to be the use of a child for any form of sexual activity or behaviour by an adult or adolescent. It is a betrayal of trust by someone
who has power over the child.1


Who is an Adult Survivor of Child Sexual Abuse?

Any adult who was sexually abused as a child is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. The majority of statistics in this document refer to the abuse of children under the age of 17. Sexual abuse occurs in all communities, ethnic backgrounds,
religions, cultures, and social and economic classes, and is experienced by both males and females.2,3

Vocabulary

The words “victim” and “survivor” are used throughout this document, but their limitations are acknowledged in that these terms may discount the aspects of a person’s life that are healthy and productive. The term “thriver” is now sometimes used to describe people who are not only surviving but flourishing. It better reflects the idea that sexual abuse is something that happens to people and should not be considered the core of their identity. In this document, the terms “victim” and “survivor”, which are commonly used in the abuse-related literature, designate a person who has experienced sexual abuse in his or her childhood.

Who is Sexually Abused?

The Ontario Health Survey Supplement*, carried out between 1990 and 1991, reported that 4.3% of males and 12.8% of females reported any unwanted sexual acts before their 17th birthday, and 3.9% of males and 11.1% of females in this sample reported severe sexual abuse.4 Previously, the Badgley Report* used broader definitions of child sexual abuse and reported higher prevalence rates. In that study, 31% of boys and 54% of girls under the age of 21 reported sexual abuse, and 8.2% of boys and 17.6% of girls reported severe sexual abuse.5

The Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (CIS) studied investigations by child welfare service providers in 1998. As its title suggests, this study deals only with child abuse and neglect reported to child welfare authorities. Some reports of sexual abuse are investigated by police without any involvement of child welfare service providers, and these statistics are not reflected in the study. Among substantiated cases of sexual abuse against children under the age of 16 reported in the CIS, 69% of the victims were girls and 31% were boys.6

Some evidence suggests that girls and boys are at similar risk of being sexually abused before puberty.7 However,

adolescent (and adult) females are at greater risk of sexual abuse than adolescent (and adult) males. Therefore, there may be more female than male adult survivors of child sexual abuse.

Who are the Abusers?

The report of the CIS states that, among substantiated sexual abuse cases, non-parental relatives represented the largest group of alleged perpetrators (44%), followed by biological fathers (8%), stepfathers (8%), other acquaintances (8%) and babysitters (7%). A child’s friends (peers) and family friends were each identified as the alleged perpetrator in 5% of substantiated cases. Teachers were identified in 4% of cases, and other professionals, strangers and a parent’s boyfriend/girl-friend were each identified in 2% of cases. In 5% of substantiated sexual abuse cases, mothers were identified as the alleged perpetrator (3% biological mothers and 2% step-mothers).8 It is possible that cases of abuse within the family are under-reported because of the risk of breaking up the family and are, therefore, under-represented in this study. Furthermore, the CIS statistics do not reflect those cases –which may be more severe – that are reported only to police.

* In the Ontario Health Survey Supplement, respondents were asked to indicate whether an adult had committed any of the following acts while they were growing up: “exposed themselves to you more than once; threatened to have sex with you; touched the sex parts of your body; tried to have sex with you or sexually attacked you.” The last three items were identified as severe sexual abuse. In the Badgley Report, respondents were asked whether any unwanted sexual acts had ever been committed against them; two items (unwanted touching of sexual areas and attempted or achieved intercourse) approximated severe abuse.

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Connecting Child Sexual Abuse to Adulthood

The ripple effects of abuse can be difficult to pinpoint, even though abuse may affect every area of someone’s life. These effects are not necessarily permanent, but they can feel overwhelming. Recognizing the connection between present effects and past sexual abuse is not easy. Drawing this connection can be helpful for the healing process but is not always necessary.9

Why Do Many Survivors Delay Talking About Child Sexual Abuse?

In Canada, it is estimated that the vast majority of male and female sexual abuse victims do not report sexual abuse.10 Some survivors delay disclosure because they fear they will be threatened by their abuser, are worried they will not be believed or that they will be blamed and possibly punished, feel guilty and ashamed, or want to protect their families and sometimes the perpetrator.11 Other concerns include a feeling of responsibility for the abuse, a sense of confusion and betrayal because they were physically aroused by the abuse, difficulty in finding the right time to talk about the past, and an inability to recognize child sexual abuse as abusive, perhaps because they were led to believe that it was normal.12 Survivors should be encouraged not to confuse the abnormality of the abuse with their own identity: the abuse was abnormal, but they are perfectly normal.

Caregivers must make themselves more aware of symptoms exhibited by both male and female survivors. This knowledge will help families, doctors, teachers and protective service workers to identify and report alleged sexual abuse to the proper authorities.

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posted by Robert Heard at 11:21 AM