Sexual Abuse: Victim Impact and Offender Characteristics

Effects of Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse poses significant emotional risks for victims. These reactions are often stronger when the aggressor is a family member or when the abuse occurs repeatedly, making the victim feel guilty for not being able to prevent it.

Gender Differences in Victim Reactions

Boys may be more likely to become perpetrators in the future, while girls tend to exhibit more anxiety-depressive reactions.

Initial Effects (Within Two Years of the Abuse)

1. Towards the offender and/or relatives: Mistrust, fear, hostility, running away, and antisocial behavior.
2. Towards oneself: Shame, guilt, and low self-esteem.
3. Emotional state: Anxiety, anger, and depression.
4. Sexuality: Excessive curiosity, sexual precocity, and child prostitution.
5. Other issues: Sleep and eating disorders, problems at school, and lack of concentration.

Long-Term Effects

1. Mood: Depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts.
2. Personality: Low self-esteem and a diminished sense of control.
3. Education: School failure.
4. Family: Conflict, running away from home, and suspicion.
5. Behavior: Antisocial behavior, delinquency, substance abuse, hostility, and social distrust.
6. Sexuality: Prostitution, fear of sex, obsessive sexual images, sexual dysfunction, inappropriate intimacy patterns, and rejection of sexual activity or aggression in response to advances.

Profile of a Sexual Abuse Offender

• The majority are male (80%-92%).
• They often choose victims of a specific gender.
• They tend to be repeat offenders from an early age.
• They often appear to be normal individuals.
• They can be aggressive or withdrawn and are typically very insensitive.
• They often lack the skills to form healthy relationships with adult peers.
• They have a limited capacity for empathy (the ability to put oneself in another's place and share their feelings).
• They are often known to the victims, such as friends or relatives.
• Only about 10% use physical violence.
• Most are non-paraphilic.
• Most do not seek treatment.

Common Strategies Used by Offenders

• Exploiting the victim's trust, especially if they are an acquaintance.
• Creating a confusing situation to disorient the victim.
• Establishing a trusting relationship first to minimize suspicion.
• Using schemes that involve deception.
• Rarely resorting to physical violence.
• Offering unusual rewards or threatening punishment if their advances are not accepted.
• Using verbal threats or other negative consequences to ensure compliance and silence.

Sequence of Abusive Behavior

The abuse often follows a pattern, which may include:

• Pseudo-educational contact, such as sharing inappropriate sexual information.
• Mutual genital exhibition.
• The adult asking the child to masturbate them.
• Mutual masturbation.
• Oral-genital contact.
• Vaginal or anal intercourse.
• Other forms of petting and sexual activities.