Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse can happen to anyone, independently of their gender, sexual orientation or age.

The abuse can involve physical contact and non-contact sexual activity; it can be present or online; it can be a single event or a series of events happening over time; it can be sexting, groping, rape (penetration of vagina, anus or mouth), child sexual abuse, etc.

Sexual abuse is NOT about sex it is always about power and control; the power and control of one person (perpetrator) over another person (survivor).

Statistics show that a very high percentage of perpetrators are known to their victim, which will have a huge impact on the survivor’s sense of safety and issues with trust.

If you are a survivor of sexual abuse it is important to be aware of that there isn’t a single way to process what happened to you; the long term effects of sexual abuse will be different for each person.

Though every person’s experience is different we could also say that there are some common long term effects that a survivor can experience. You many not feel safe, you may have issues with trust, you may feel shame and guilt “it was my fault” or “I enjoyed it”, you may feel depression, rage and have issues with self worth.

Sex and intimacy can be very challenging after Sexual Abuse. Some survivors find difficulty relating to others, difficulty in forming long term and fulfilling relationships; you may fear intimacy. Some may experience amnesia, dissociation or anxiety. You may engage in self destructive behaviours, such as drug and alcohol use, self injury, eating disorders, etc.

Some survivors may display over sexualised behaviour, some may engage in compulsive sexual behaviour, some may avoid sexual encounters altogether, some may use sex as a way of getting love, connection and / or intimacy.

You may find difficult talking about your experience and you may be concerned about people not believing you. You do not have to talk about what happened to you in order to heal. Therapy can help you with your healing process, it will take time.