Sexual Abuse Flashcards
What is Sexual Abuse?
A) Any act occurring between people that are at different developmental stages whose aim is at the sexual gratification of the person that is at the more advanced developmental stage
Explain the interaction that takes place in sexual abuse?
i. Always starts with the perpetrator
ii. Victims have things going on as well
What are motivators for sexual abuse?
- Control
- Anger/stress
- Intimacy/companionship
- Sexual gratification in a comfortable space
- Felt powerless because of his social situation
How does anger/stress work as a motivator to sexual abuse?
- Angry at his peers
- The father expressing this is often angry at the mother and do it to indirectly affect the mother
- Male perpetrator may have anger to women in general which is traced back to the relationship with his mother
What is the child’s role in sexual abuse?
- Early on children have sexual expressions
- Responsibility is on the part of the adult and not the child
- Children that seem to be expressing early sexuality, that is a learned behavior
What are the functions of sexual abuse?
A) Expression of Anger
B) Exertion of Control
C) An attempt to give or receive affection
D) Expression of Power/Dominance
What are the prerequisites for someone to be a sexual abuser?
- A sexual attraction to children - this is not natural
2. Need a willingness to act on those feelings - abusers have lower self-control and superego
What are factors that lead to sexual abuse?
- Cultural
- Environmental
- Individual
What are the Cultural factors that lead to sexual abuse?
- Stats says that males are perps (90%) and females are victims (85%)
- Children are most vulnerable between the ages of 7 and 13
- Strong sense that to be masculine means to be in charge and to be submissive is to be feminine
- Men should be able to take corrective steps in family
What are the Environmental factors that lead to sexual abuse?
- Economic factors - Low SES and so noticed by social workers
- Social Isolation - aware of family differentness, rural area and likely to be prolonged
How do Fathers serve as an individual factor?
- Most report harsh or deprived childhoods
- Usually stems from problem with their mother
- The male has deficits in the ability to form appropriate relationships and express affection properly
- Possible substance abuse
How do Mothers serve as an individual factor?
- Frequently found to have experienced or be aware of sexual abuse themselves
- Mother will often choose, unconsciously, to date someone that is not going to make a lot of sexual demands on them
What are indicates of child abuse from the child?
- Personality changes
- Clingy to the parent that is not abusing
- Change in eating, sleeping or developmental relapsing
- Age inappropriate knowledge of sexual activities
- Age inappropriate interest in sexual activities
- Sexually acting out
What are the effects of sexual abuse?
A) Loss of Trust
B) Altered Body Image
C) Guilt
D) Traumatic Sexualization
How is loss of trust manifested?
- Assault on ability to attach
- Child is brought into a conspiracy
- When it comes to light, child is crushed
- The response of the mother is key
