This April we have been focused on childhood sexual abuse (CSA), a crime that can cause long-term harm even as the child grows into adulthood. 1in 4 women and 1 in 6 men alive in the United States today were molested sexually before the age of 18. This means there are more than 42 million adult survivors in the U.S.
Today we will explore together the long-term effects that childhood sexual abuse has on, not only children, but to the adults they become.
A Short Recap
It would be remiss of me if I did not first give everyone a brief recap of what we have explored so far pertaining to childhood sexual abuse.
The actual prevalence of childhood sexual abuse is unknown because there are so many people who are victims and never tell their stories. Researchers have found and suggest rates that vary from 1% to 35% but most mental health and medical professionals rate childhood sexual abuse at 8% to 20%.
Although the prevalence of CSA varies, most professionals agree that there will be 500,000 babies born in the United States this year that will experience childhood sexual abuse before they turn eighteen years old.
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