Negative Psychological Effects of Childhood Sexual Trauma

Childhood sexual trauma is one of the persuasive issues that exists in all societies. Childhood sexual trauma leaves deep scars on individuals and negatively influences the adulthood phase and affects the physical, mental, and psychological well-being and social life of the individual. Childhood sexual trauma is caused by childhood sexual abuse which is the most common type of maltreatment. Childhood sexual abuse refers to the sexual action by one or more adults towards a child without the consent of the child (Alves et al., 2024). The sexual abuse of the child can occur outside the family and can occur within the family and mostly the aggressor has kinship with the child or ties with the family. Childhood sexual abuse is a major social issue at the global level. According to Alves et al. (2024). the report was compiled containing the data from 2016 to 2017 from different countries informed that there 54, 846 cases of sexual abuse towards minors. Similarly, at the global level, the prevalence of child sexual abuse has been increasing (Alves et al., 2024). Thus, this research seeks to explore the impact of childhood sexual trauma on the adulthood phase and examines the long-term consequences on victims.

Importance and Purpose of Research

The purpose of the research is to explore the negative impact of childhood sexual trauma on adulthood. Childhood sexual trauma leads to mental health issues and long-term psychological effects that negatively influence the ability and capacity of the victim to operate at the optimal level or lead to an improved quality of life (Collin-Vézina et al., 2013). The impact of childhood sexual abuse can also be manifested in criminal behavior because trauma pushes the victims to adopt negative coping mechanisms to deal with the scars of childhood. Thus, this topic is important to explore because, within the criminal justice system, professionals often deal with offenders who carry the burden of childhood sexual trauma. The understanding of childhood sexual trauma is important for professionals to take trauma-informed approaches and support offenders to reintegrate into mainstream communities.

Excerpt continues in the full download.