The Long-Term Effects of Childhood Sexual Abuse Essay

Child abuse is a serious issue in todays society. There are many victims of child abuse. There are three kinds of child abuse: emotional, sexual, and physical. Many researchers believe that sexual abuse is the most detrimental of the three. A middle-aged adult who is feeling depressed will probably not relate it back to his childhood, but maybe he should. The short-term effects of childhood sexual abuse have been proven valid, but now the question is, do the long-term effects of childhood sexual abuse affect middle-aged adults? Many contradicting views arise from the subject of childhood sexual abuse. Researchers and psychologists argue on this issue. Childhood sexual abuse has the possibility to damage a child physically, emotionally,†¦show more content†¦These characteristics could hinder a victim from living a normal lifestyle and having a family. Kliest also states, Adults who were abused sexually as children will have a greater chance than those who were not of experie ncing sexual dysfunction, such as flashbacks, difficulty in arousal, and phobic reactions to sexual intimacy (156). Many researchers agree that childhood sexual abuse has a negative effect on an adults personal relationships. Another researcher states, A history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) appears to have an adverse impact on the quality of adult intimate relationships, and they report avoiding the development of close adult relationships because of their fear of rejection (Whiffen 1103). These behavioral problems possess the ability to destroy an adults intimate relationships. Mental Health Being sexually abused as a child has the power to lead to mental health problems as a middle-aged adult. Depression is a common effect of childhood sexual abuse for middle-aged adults. Shane Kasner, a psychologist, states, Research has consistently found that childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is associated with poor psychological outcome in adult populations (Kasner 1245). Valerie Whiffen, a psychologist, reports that there is strong evidenceShow MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Childhood Sexual Abuse Long Term948 Words   |  4 Pagesglad that others had the exact same questions and reservations that I do. One of the criticisms raised by Ondersma and colleagues (2001) is the issue of using the college student population as the basis of a study to look at the effects of childhood sexual abuse long term. I feel very strongly that I need to elaborate on that, and problems it likely presents. According to Rind, Tromovitch, and Bauserman (1998), only 50% of American adults go to college. 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