Resilience and risk factors associated with experiencing childhood sexual abuse

Abstract

The effects of child sexual abuse are wide-ranging and impact on children, families and health/social care systems. The authors review this literature, examining the shortcomings of the 'victim-offender' model, and consider the complex, multifactorial nature of this question. Factors associated with a progression from victim to perpetrator are explored and the prevalence of abuse in the general population is also discussed. Protective as well as risk factors are considered and the pivotal role of 'personal reliance' is considered as it relates to empowering damaged young people to become healthy adults. The authors also discuss implications for the treatment of young people who become abusers. Two case examples are briefly reported upon and the article concludes with a consideration of ways to helpfully address the needs of children who become sexual perpetrators.

Young Women's Social and Occupational Development and Mental Health in the Aftermath of Child Sexual Abuse

“…According to attachment theory, CSA results in insecure and anxious attachment in interpersonal relations which has been associated with social and emotional problems (see Bacon and Richardson 2001;George 1996). More generally, CSA is thought to lead to deficits in the self (Wilcox et al 2004), which is consistent with evidence of persistent feelings of shame (Feiring and Taska 2005) and shame-proneness that are longitudinal predictors of depression from early to late adolescence (Stuewig and McCloskey 2005). These vulnerabilities, which are well documented in research concerned with developmental psychopathology, detract from the sources of agency required for successful transition to adulthood.…”

The Journey of Obtaining Services: The Realities of Male Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse

“…Despite the intense sense of secrecy surrounding male CSA, authors have noted that many survivors show remarkable resilience in overcoming barriers in their lives (Alaggia and Millington 2008;Wilcox et al 2004). Grossman et al (2006) explained that male survivors who sought a deeper meaning behind their history of abuse tended to show more resilience.…”

Get SMART: Effective Treatment for Sexually Abused Children with Problematic Sexual behavior

“…It has long been believed that boys are more likely to manifest externalizing behaviors and girls are more likely to manifest internalizing behaviors, but relatively few studies have focused on gender differences, possibly because there are fewer males than females in clinical samples of children who have been sexually abused (Dube et al, 2005;Friedrich et al, 2005;Kendall-Tackett et al, 2001;Wilcox, Richards, & O'Keeffe, 2004). There are, however, reports of studies that analyzed negative consequences of sexual abuse in boys and found that boys were more likely to use alcohol and/or drugs, display aggressive and criminal behavior, and attempt suicide after sexual abuse than girls (Dube et al, 2005;Gurhurst, 2003;Malhotra & Biswas, 2007).…”