Adult Survivors: How Past Sexual Abuse Impacts Your Life

Over 90% of child sexual abuse victims know their abusers. Sometimes child sexual abuse occurs in a single incident. In other cases, it occurs over a long period of time. In either situation, the damage can be devastating and long term.

Adult survivors experience many issues going into adulthood. Whether you’re an adult survivor or the parent of an abuse victim, learning how to get past abuse is very important. You may have legal rights and may wish to discuss those rights confidentially with a child sexual abuse attorney. Continue reading this article to learn how to get past childhood sexual abuse.

Adult Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse Can Thrive

Whether the sexual abuse came from a relative, teacher, or you were sexually abused by a priest, the pain is great. The long term effects can last decades. The following tips will help you get the closure and healing you need.

What Is Child Sexual Abuse?

Child sexual abuse is a type of child abuse in which a minor is abused for the sexual gratification of someone older. This can include direct sexual contact, indirect contact over clothing, and indecent exposure, Abusers often intimidate or groom the child, finding ways to persuade a child to engage in sexual activities.

Getting Over the Guilt

While outsiders might not understand why survivors feel guilt. Guilt can be one of the most difficult parts of sexual abuse to overcome. Many survivors feel guilty about not being able to stop the abuse or if they felt pleasure during the abuse.

Survivors should always understand that it was not their fault and that the person that abused them should be held accountable. New York’s Child Victims Act allows survivors of abuse, even if it happened decades ago, the opportunity to bring legal claims if the abuser worked at a school or church.

Relationship Challenges

After sexual abuse, it may be hard to have a true connection with your partners during sex. Being open and honest with your long-term partner might not always be easy, but helping them understand what you’re feeling can make the relationship easier for you both.

Talking to a therapist, life coach or other professional may help survivors work through their personal issues. If there is a potential to bring a legal claim against the abuser or the abuser’s employer a qualified sexual abuse attorney can be retained.

Self-esteem Issues

After experiencing sexual abuse, survivors often feel the need to protect themselves. They can begin to feel helpless and powerless. The loss of self-esteem can impact how they feel about themselves, Feelings of humiliation and loneliness can change the way survivors feel about close relationships.

The lack of self-esteem that accompanies child sexual abuse is made worse by feelings of guilt, shame, fear, and anger.

Working through self-esteem issues can take significant time and energy. Lack of self-esteem may mean lost opportunity and lost love. Survivors dealing with self-esteem issues may not take calculated risks in business, work life or in their relationships.

Get the Help You Need

The stigma around sexual abuse often causes survivors to stay in the shadows. The more survivors stay silent; the more abusers are able to run free. Survivors don’t have to face the situation alone, and that is where our law firm comes in.

If you or someone you love is a survivor of child sexual abuse in a school or church, New York’s Child Victims Act may allow a claim to be made against the church, school, or other institution involved.

A large part of our practice is concentrated on child sexual abuse cases. Attorney Steve Boyd has been investigating Buffalo priest sexual abuse since 1993, Today, he represents many people under the New York Child Victims Act.