Child Sexual Abuse On Adult Relationships

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Research Paper: Effect of Sexual Abuse on Adult Relationships Samantha Caruso Regent University Abstract: In this paper I will be discussing the effects of childhood sexual abuse on adult relationships. I will first address the effects in childhood and end with adulthood. This is to help the reader see the correlations between the stages, as well as what theorists have to say about these stages. The material discussed has been tested a multitude of times and has shown that there is a significant correlation between childhood sexual abuse and social/sexual problems in adult relation. Introduction: According to many studies it has been found that, “women who had experienced CSA(Childhood Sexual Abuse) involving sexual penetration or attempted sexual penetration were: (a) likely to be sexually victimized in adulthood; (b) more likely to have engaged in casual sex, unprotected sex, involuntary sexual abstinence; (c) reported fewer sexual rewards, more sexual costs, and lower sexual self-esteem.” (Lemieux & Byer, 2008, p.126) Also research shows, “CSA is associated with a variety of short and long-term negative consequences including depression, and anxiety, anger, poor self-esteem, substance abuse, eating disorders, and sexual re-victimization.” (Beitchman et al., 1992; Newman, Houskamp, Pollock, & Brier, 1996) All of which affect relationships within the individuals life. We see the effects of CSA in Finkelhor and Brown’s “Traumagenic Dynamics Model; in which the focus is directed to the effects of traumatic sexualization.” (Finkelhor & Browne, 1985) Traumatic sexualization is defined as, “process in which child sexuality, including those sexual feelings and sexual attitudes, is shaped in a developmentally inappropriate and interpersonal dysfunctional fashion as a result of sexual abuse” (Finkelhor & Browne, 1985, p.531). This “shaping” is
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