Sociology and Criminology-Open Access
Open Access

Child Sexual Assaults and its Implications

Maria Stella^{* *}Correspondence: Maria Stella, Department of Psychology and Philosophy, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, USA, Email:

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About the Study

A form of child abuse known as Child Sexual Abuse (CSA), often known as child molestation, occurs when an adult or older adolescent exploits a kid for sexual arousal. Child sexual abuse includes practises like child grooming, indecent exposure, engaging in sexual behaviour with a child, and child sexual exploitation, which includes using a child to make child pornography.

A child may be sexually assaulted in a number of places, including the home, school, or workplace. One of the main ways that children are sexually molested is through child marriage; according to UNICEF, it "represents possibly the most pervasive type of sexual abuse and exploitation of girls." The consequences of child sexual abuse might include, among other things, physical harm to the kid as well as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and complicated post-traumatic stress disorder. Family incest, which includes sexual abuse, can cause more severe and lasting psychological trauma, particularly when it involves parents. The prevalence of child sexual abuse is estimated to be 7.9% for males and 19.7% for females worldwide. The majority of sexual abusers are familiar with their victims; roughly 30% are family members of the child, most frequently brothers, fathers, uncles, or cousins; about 60% are other acquaintances, such as "friends" of the family, babysitters, or neighbours; and in about 10% of child sexual abuse cases, strangers are the perpetrators. Studies on female child molesters reveal that women are responsible for 14% to 40% of recorded offences against boys and 6% of reported offences against girls. Men are the majority of the time the perpetrators of child sexual abuse.

Effects

Psychological: Worldwide, it is estimated that 7.9% of boys and 19.7% of girls have experienced child sexual abuse. Most sexual abusers are already familiar with their victims; about 30% are members of the child's family, most frequently brothers, fathers, uncles, or cousins; about 60% are other people the victim knows, like babysitters or neighbours; and in only 10% of cases of child sexual abuse, the abusers are strangers. Women are found to be the perpetrators of 14% to 40% of reported offences against boys and 6% of reported offences against girls, according to studies on female child molesters. The bulk of the time, men are the ones that sexually abuse children.

Posttraumatic stress disorder: High levels of dissociative symptoms, including amnesia for abuse memories, have been linked to child abuse, including sexual abuse, particularly chronic abuse beginning at a young age. Dissociative symptoms were even more pronounced in cases of severe sexual abuse. Recent study and earlier studies both support the notion that women who experience high levels of Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) experience PTSD symptoms that are linked to impair social functioning. Both the "cut-off" sensation from peers and "emotional numbness" are side effects of CSA and severely impede social interaction. The "self-medication hypothesis" and the "high-risk and susceptibility hypothesis" are further reasons why PTSD is linked to a higher risk of substance usage. In female CSA survivors who used methadone, Prolonged Exposure therapy (PE) was reported to lessen PTSD and depressed symptoms.

Physical

Injury: Child sexual abuse may result in internal bleeding and lacerations depending on the child's age, size, and the amount of force applied. Internal organ damage, which occasionally may result in death, may happen in severe circumstances.

Infections: Sexually transmitted illnesses and infections can result from child sexual abuse. Depending on the child's age and size, the likelihood of infections can increase due to insufficient vaginal fluid.

Neurological damage: The severe stress, which includes stress brought on by sexual assault, affects how the brain develops and functions. The development of the brain may be negatively impacted by severe child sexual abuse, according to a number of studies.