What Are the Effects of Sexual Abuse?

Sometimes the child may be so traumatized by sexual abuse that years may go by before he/she is able to understand or talk about what happened. In these cases, adult survivors of sexual abuse may come forward for the first time at the age of 40-50 and divulge the horror of their experiences.

The effects extend far beyond childhood occurrence. It robs children of their childhood, creates a loss of trust, feelings of guilt and/or self-abusive behavior. It can lead to antisocial behavior, depression, identity confusion, loss of self-esteem and other serious emotional problems.