Short And Short-Term Effects Of Child Sexual Abuse
Child Sexual Abuse
It can be very difficult to talk about sexual abuse and even more difficult to acknowledge that sexual abuse of children of all ages including infants happens every day. Sexual abuse of children has become the subject of great community concern. This is evidenced by the expanding body of literature on sexual abuse, public journals by adult survivors and increased media coverage of sexual abuse issues.
According to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS), an “estimated 9.3 percent” of confirmed or substantiated child abuse and neglect cases in 2012 involved sexual abuse. “Of the victims who were sexually abused, 26.3 percent were in the age group of 12–14 years and one-third (33.8 percent) was younger …show more content…
There are so many effects from sexually abusing a minor they need to be separated into two categories, short-term and long-term effects. The initial or short-term effect of abuse usually occurs within 2 years of the abuse. These effects can change depending on the circumstances of the abuse and the child’s development stages but may include regressive behaviors (such as a return to thumb-sucking or bed-wetting), sleep disturbances, eating problems, behavior and/or performance problems at school, and nonparticipation in school and social activities ("Effects of Child Sexual Abuse"). These effects are very noticeable and can be quite drastic to the child. Not only does it affect the child behavior and performance but also can handicap their mental development and can cause issues if not …show more content…
“The reporting rate is about six or seven or eight percent at best. Offenders know they have a 1 in 20 chance of getting away with it” (Carey). It’s sickening to think that out of all the cases we hear of sexual abuse, it’s barely a fraction of the realistic number. There needs to be some way we can prevent these crimes from happening or find some way to get them reported and stopped. Kids shouldn’t have to grow up having dealt with this. As author Rick Docksai points out, “When schools, day-care centers and other institutions…[are hiring] they commonly consult sex-offender registries…to make sure the candidates have not been arrested for pedophilia-related crimes” (Docksai). What institutions catering to children are doing now is not enough. After knowing the effects of child sexual abuse we need to try harder to prevent them from happening as often and unaccounted for as they are now. In the Netherlands, Prof. Matthijs L. Van Leeuwen lead a study to actually predict whether a person has any sexual attraction (acted upon or not) toward children with 90% success (Van Leeuwen). If we can take these studies and use them in our schools and child care facilities, we could decrease the number of sexual assaults toward children immensely. Imagine all the lives that could be changed or even saved by just being more
It can be very difficult to talk about sexual abuse and even more difficult to acknowledge that sexual abuse of children of all ages including infants happens every day. Sexual abuse of children has become the subject of great community concern. This is evidenced by the expanding body of literature on sexual abuse, public journals by adult survivors and increased media coverage of sexual abuse issues.
According to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS), an “estimated 9.3 percent” of confirmed or substantiated child abuse and neglect cases in 2012 involved sexual abuse. “Of the victims who were sexually abused, 26.3 percent were in the age group of 12–14 years and one-third (33.8 percent) was younger …show more content…
There are so many effects from sexually abusing a minor they need to be separated into two categories, short-term and long-term effects. The initial or short-term effect of abuse usually occurs within 2 years of the abuse. These effects can change depending on the circumstances of the abuse and the child’s development stages but may include regressive behaviors (such as a return to thumb-sucking or bed-wetting), sleep disturbances, eating problems, behavior and/or performance problems at school, and nonparticipation in school and social activities ("Effects of Child Sexual Abuse"). These effects are very noticeable and can be quite drastic to the child. Not only does it affect the child behavior and performance but also can handicap their mental development and can cause issues if not …show more content…
“The reporting rate is about six or seven or eight percent at best. Offenders know they have a 1 in 20 chance of getting away with it” (Carey). It’s sickening to think that out of all the cases we hear of sexual abuse, it’s barely a fraction of the realistic number. There needs to be some way we can prevent these crimes from happening or find some way to get them reported and stopped. Kids shouldn’t have to grow up having dealt with this. As author Rick Docksai points out, “When schools, day-care centers and other institutions…[are hiring] they commonly consult sex-offender registries…to make sure the candidates have not been arrested for pedophilia-related crimes” (Docksai). What institutions catering to children are doing now is not enough. After knowing the effects of child sexual abuse we need to try harder to prevent them from happening as often and unaccounted for as they are now. In the Netherlands, Prof. Matthijs L. Van Leeuwen lead a study to actually predict whether a person has any sexual attraction (acted upon or not) toward children with 90% success (Van Leeuwen). If we can take these studies and use them in our schools and child care facilities, we could decrease the number of sexual assaults toward children immensely. Imagine all the lives that could be changed or even saved by just being more