Definition Essay: Childhood Sexual Abuse

Lora Garcia
J. Murphy
English 51
29 April 2009



Childhood Sexual Abuse

Have you been sexually abused as a child? Do you know of someone who has? The concept that I am trying to present are the warning signs of sexual abuse in children and the life-long “sentence” it will trigger in them. There are many different types of sexual abuse and ways to define them. It is important for everybody to know these facts, so that maybe most of it can be prevented. The key is to have the information known by everyone, no matter how young.
There is a picture in my mind. A picture of a child, with whose innocence untampered with, gets to live a normal life. A life that is filled with normal relationships and social abilities and can grow with a healthy mind. A child who doesn’t have to struggle through life with feelings of guilt, unworthiness and depression. One who trusts in love and doesn’t have to “act out” for attention or to shelter the pain. Unfortunately, these things are exactly opposite of what a child must go through after being sexually abused, especially by a “loved one”.
According to The National Library of Medicine, “child sexual abuse is a form of child abuse in which a child is abused for the sexual gratification of an adult or older adolescent”. Most of the time by a child’s own family member. “In addition to direct sexual contact, child sexual abuse also occurs when an adult indecently exposes their genitalia to a child, asks or pressures a child to engage in sexual activities, displays pornography to a child, or uses a child to produce child pornography” (Martin, J.,Anderson; J. Romans; S., et al 1993).
Child sexual abuse has been reported up to 80,000 times a year, but the number of unreported instances is far greater, because the children are afraid to tell anyone what has happened and the legal procedure for validating an episode is difficult. “The problem should be identified, the abuse stopped, and the child should receive professional help” (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry).
I believe child abuse in general, disrupts a child’s entire childhood and abilities to deal with life. Sexual abuse in a child is like giving them a death sentence because of all of the pain and struggles they must go through for the rest of their lives like a dark shadow. Also, I think the punishment for pedophiles; molesters and child abusers should be far greater than what it is now.
The long-term emotional and psychological damage of sexual abuse can be devastating to the child; with all of the pain and anguish they have to endure, the effects are far beyond what most people realize. It can also be a nightmare for the parents who have a child or children whom have been abused. The possible repercussions something like this would cause could be a dangerous situation for the abuser. Also, the parents might never be able to heal the pain of his or her child because of it. That is, if the parent even believes their child, or even cares to know such a horrendous act has occurred with them. I hope none of my children ever have to go through it and will do everything in power to make sure it does not!!









Works Cited


A b “Child Sexual Abuse” Medline Plus. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2008-04-02

Martin, J.,Anderson; J. Romans; S., et al (1993). “Asking About Child Sexual Abuse: Methodological Implications of a Two-Stage Survey, Child Abuse and Neglect”, 17, 383-392.
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry No. 28; July 2004 http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families/responding_to_child_sexual_abuse