Trauma and Sexual Abuse in Childhood
Discuss about the Trauma and Crisis Counselling for Sexual Abuse.
This essay will talk about the trauma and sexual abuse that most of child goes through and how it affects them and make them traumatized. There are many forms of childhood sexual abuse. Childhood sexual abuse is one of the most essential subjects that have received a lot of attention in recent years. This sexual abuse in childhood has caused psychological damage to many children (Mrazek & Kempe, 2014). In recent years, there have been a lot of cases of alleged abuse within institutions that have led to litigation for compensation. Sexual abuse from a very early age particularly creates a sinister type of trauma because of the shame it instils in the victim. In childhood sexual abuse, victims are often too young to realize how to express what is happening to seek out for help. Children often are traumatized due to this abuse and suffer from a lifetime psychological effects like, depression, PTSD and anxiety (Lindert et al., 2014). The trauma that results from sexual abuse is a syndrome that affects not just the victim but their families as well. It is considered to be a syndrome and therefore the not only the child but the entire family should go through counselling. It is very important that the that counsellors are aware of and familiar with the symptoms and long term effects associated with childhood sexual abuse in order to help gain a deeper understanding of what is needed in counselling (Devries et al., 2014).
Amongst all the traumas, depression has been found to be the most common long-term symptom among survivors. Survivors may have difficulty in externalizing the abuse, thinking negatively about themselves. In fact, when an esteemed trusted adult does the sexual abuse it becomes even more difficult for the children to view the doer in a negative light, by leaving them incapable of seeing what happened as not their fault (Matulis et al., 2014).
This essay will define childhood sexual abuse and will review the impact it can have, explore the long-term effects and the symptoms associated with childhood sexual abuse and how counselling will play a role in terms of treating the person. To treat this first it important to know the cause of it, as per research there are many cases where a family member or relative does the seduction. On the other strangers, commit the violent way of this act. Sexual abuse has many different forms; it can take on, the different level of frequency, the variation of circumstances it can occur within, and the different relationships that may be associated (Finkelhor et al., 2014). Most startling statistics discovered during research into sexual abuse are that children are three times as likely to be victims of child abuse. This kind of sexual abuse has been correlated with higher levels of depression, guilt, shame, self-blame, stomach concern, anxiety, dissociative patterns, denial, sexual problems, and relationship problems (James & Prout, 2015). It affects the victim both physically and mentally.
Family Therapy
Sexual abuse is that sinister type of trauma that brings more shame to the victimized child. A child is unaware about the happenings and reaching out for help turns more difficult when the person or precisely the attacker is someone in their family. However, there are many therapy style that helps the child return to normal life and among them family therapy can be highly recommended because love, care and time makes every wound heal (Van der Kolk, 2017). If a child has a supportive and caring family who supports them after the incidents then they will eventually return to life.
Family therapy is psychologically that specific type of counselling that offers the family members with the improvement of communication and understanding as not only the victims suffer after the accident but the family also suffers largely (Butcher, Mineka & Hooley, 2013). Hence, it is very important to make them go through some therapy that will help them to take proper decisions and support their child as well. Family therapy helps the child and their family members to solve their inner conflicts and fight with the tough situation to get a normal life. Family therapy describes that often individuals have problem to express themselves in isolation, for a kid it turns more difficult, and after being victimized they will express their pain better with their family’s support (Gladding, 2014).
CBT or cognitive behavioural therapy is joint treatment for the child who has suffered through sexual abuse and their parents. This model views the importance of family or parents after a child faces sexual abuse. This is a process, used for reducing the trauma, which the child has after they have suffered the sexual abuse with supporting their families in the post trauma stage. This model helps the child develop the skill to cop up with that situation and this model restructure their life from the traumatic experience (Cohen & Mannarino, 2015). This model helps in developing the approach of care towards the children from their family. This model offers the coping strategy to the child and their family using which they are able to fight with the situation, manage the trauma, and control their emotions. After suffering from sexual abuse, the victim goes through a major crisis in life.
Every crime has a different reaction, sexual abuse is such a crime that makes a person turn into pieces, and for a child it is a pathetic and terrible experience and reaction of which turns to be the fear, helplessness and hopelessness. The reactions lead to trauma, which is very unwanted expression for the child because when a child is in trauma they may often lose their mental state and turn mentally unwell. The chosen therapy and the chosen model are correlated and both bring out the importance of family and parents for the child who is in severe trauma after the accident took place (Dobson & Dobson, 2016). A child always needs the support of the family to disclose the happenings properly in front of an unknown person and in the severe situation; it is recommended that the child get the mental support from their family.
Application, Strengths and Limitations of Family Therapy
When a child is sexually abused, they go through many dynamics which are traumatic sexualisation, stigmatization, betrayal, powerlessness (Graham & Reynolds, 2013). These dynamics change the cognitive emotions of the affected child and the child is traumatized and they lose control and focus in their lives. Family therapy along with some counselling process helps the traumatized child and their family to get well. The counselling often includes the structural therapy, strategic therapy when a child is involved. There are number of sessions that make the child and their family mentally well so that they can cop up with the situation. The therapist meets the family members either at a time or individually to understand the individual perspectives. The therapist gets a clear and analytical outline about the situation.
Family therapy is also related to relationship therapy as the therapist try to figure out the individual perspective in this process rather than the perspectives that is present within them. Family theory is often helpful to solve issues and as sexual abuse is a very serious issue, it needs the guidance of someone so that even the family members prepare themselves for fighting the situation (Henin et al., 2016). The therapist in a family therapy for sexual abuse happened with child evaluates how the family works together and what are the existing problems that may create a problem in the system. The therapist set some goals for the family members and the affected child and helps them with strategies so that they can cop up with the situation. The therapist helps the family to be stronger and make them realize that how much the child needs their support. The therapist does this because for identifying the emotional condition of the child and working on that after they have suffered from the sexual abuse (Henin et al., 2016).
Structural therapy has its focus on making the foundation of the family strong because when a family goes through the time after their child has faced the sexual abuse they face many criticisms from the society and fail to support their child who is traumatized due to the sufferings (Friedberg & McClure, 2015). The therapist in this case helps the family to gain back their confidence and fight the trauma. On the other hand, in strategic therapy, the therapists make the family work on their own relationship and the therapist takes all the responsibility of the result of this particular therapy. The therapist observes the people of the family, evaluates the problem through different perspectives, and then guides them in how they can reduce the trauma. Sexual abuse consists of many different forms and takes on different level of frequency, and is associated with different relationships that may be and have a positive turn towards life (Dalle Grave et al., 2013). Children often are traumatized due to sexual abuse and they are unable to tell them to anyone due to the fear but with the help of this therapy, they are able to convey the happenings.
From the above it can be concluded that Sexual abuse to a child is very abusive and traumatic issue. Sexual abuse of a child is an engraving issue in today’s world. Childhood sexual abuse is one of the most essential subjects that have received a lot of attention in recent years. This sexual abuse in childhood has caused psychological damage to many children. Having so huge amount of child affected by this, they often search for therapy that will help them to get better and even help their family to cop up with the situation and lead a normal life. All the kind of sexual abuse are correlated with increasing levels of depression, guilt, shame, self-blame, stomach concern, anxiety, dissociative patterns, denial, sexual problems, and relationship problems and the child gets traumatized. It is very important that there are counsellors are aware of the situation and familiar with the symptoms and long-term effects associated with childhood sexual abuse that can help the children and their gain a deeper understanding about the situation and work on it with proper thinking. Family therapy is the most convenient way as the child affected mostly searches for the support of their parents and in this condition; the parents must support their child. However, there are only few number of parents are there who supports their child in this condition and that is why there is a need of therapists who will help both the child and parents to control themselves in the situation. The trauma that results from sexual abuse is a syndrome that affects not just the victim but their families as well. This is a particular type of syndrome and that is why not only the child but the entire family requires going through counselling. Family therapy along with some counselling process helps the traumatized child and their family to get well. The counselling often includes the structural therapy, strategic therapy when a child is involved. In this traumatic situation, Structural therapy has its focus on making the foundation of the family strong and the therapist plays a vital role in the situation. The therapist in the family therapy to treat the trauma of sexual abuse that happened with child evaluates the togetherness of the family and finds out the existing problems, which creates problem in the family system. The therapist helps in setting some goals for the family members as well as the affected child and tries to help them with strategies so that they can cop up with the situation. Sexual abuse towards a child needs to be resolved and that is why therapies and the role of family are very important so that the child comes out of the trauma and leads a normal life without any fear and depression.
References:
Butcher, J. N., Mineka, S., & Hooley, J. M. (2013). Abnormal psychology. Pearson Education
Cohen, J. A., & Mannarino, A. P. (2015). Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy for traumatized children and families. Child and adolescent psychiatric clinics of North America, 24(3), 557.
Dalle Grave, R., Calugi, S., Doll, H. A., & Fairburn, C. G. (2013). Enhanced cognitive behaviour therapy for adolescents with anorexia nervosa: an alternative to family therapy?. Behaviour research and therapy, 51(1), R9-R12.
Devries, K. M., Mak, J. Y., Child, J. C., Falder, G., Bacchus, L. J., Astbury, J., & Watts, C. H. (2014). Childhood sexual abuse and suicidal behavior: a meta-analysis. Pediatrics, peds-2013.
Dobson, D., & Dobson, K. S. (2016). Evidence-based practice of cognitive-behavioral therapy. Guilford Publications.
Finkelhor, D., Shattuck, A., Turner, H. A., & Hamby, S. L. (2014). The lifetime prevalence of child sexual abuse and sexual assault assessed in late adolescence. Journal of Adolescent Health, 55(3), 329-333.
Friedberg, R. D., & McClure, J. M. (2015). Clinical practice of cognitive therapy with children and adolescents: The nuts and bolts. Guilford Publications.
Gladding, S. T. (2014). Family therapy: History, theory, and practice. Pearson Higher Ed.
Graham, P., & Reynolds, S. (Eds.). (2013). Cognitive behaviour therapy for children and families. Cambridge University Press.
Henin, A., Micco, J. A., Schoeller, M., Boudreaux, A., & Hirshfeld-Becker, D. (2016). Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with Children and Adolescents. In The Massachusetts General Hospital Handbook of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy(pp. 259-275). Springer New York.
James, A., & Prout, A. (Eds.). (2015). Constructing and reconstructing childhood: Contemporary issues in the sociological study of childhood. Routledge.
Levine, H. B. (2014). Adult analysis and childhood sexual abuse. Routledge.
Lindert, J., von Ehrenstein, O. S., Grashow, R., Gal, G., Braehler, E., & Weisskopf, M. G. (2014). Sexual and physical abuse in childhood is associated with depression and anxiety over the life course: systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Public Health, 59(2), 359-372.
Matulis, S., Resick, P. A., Rosner, R., & Steil, R. (2014). Developmentally adapted cognitive processing therapy for adolescents suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder after childhood sexual or physical abuse: A pilot study. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 17(2), 173-190.
Mrazek, P. B., & Kempe, C. H. (Eds.). (2014). Sexually Abused Children & Their Families. Elsevier.
Van der Kolk, B. A. (2017). Developmental Trauma Disorder: Toward a rational diagnosis for children with complex trauma histories. Psychiatric annals, 35(5), 401-408.
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