Abused Boys Topic Paper

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Abused Boys: The Neglected Victims of Sexual Abuse Abused Boys: The Neglected Victims of Sexual Abuse Sarah Hudson Liberty University Abstract Every year in the United States there are thousands of boys who have been sexually abused. It is real, and it is rampant in our society. The effects of sexual abuse on boys are devastating. Sexual abuse among boys can cause severe social, cognitive, physical, and emotional adversity. Some of these adverse outcomes may include sexual dysfunction, drug abuse, difficulty in relationships, and low self-esteem. Most of those who have been abused sexually do not realize the effect it has had on their lives. With more understanding and help, young boys can overcome this trauma and adult men can avoid being hindered by their past. Abused Boys: The Neglected Victims of Sexual Abuse There are many articles and websites that seek to find the definitions of sexual abuse, the trauma involved, and how to overcome it. In Hunter’s book, which I will be attaining most of my information, he explains the different areas being affected by this abuse which include physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. As adults they may attempt to find help only to receive misdiagnoses or neglect of the real issue. According to Prevent Child Abuse America approximately one in six boys are sexually abused before the age of sixteen. Also according to the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress among 22.3 million children between the ages of 12 and 17 in the US, 1.8 million had become the prey of sexual offenders. Hunter describes sexual abuse as “any sexual act that an adult does to a child” (Hunter, 1990, p. 3). Sexual abuse can be received in one of two ways according to Hunter; overt and covert. While overt sexual abuse is painfully obvious, covert abuse can sometimes be received without the child even being aware that sexual abuse
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