By Maddie Habron, Director of Grants and Partnerships
A recent study conducted in Australia found that survivors of child sexual abuse were much more likely than their non-abused peers to be sexually and physically assaulted later in life. This study reaffirms previous research on re-victimization, which is when people who were abused once are abused again later in life. For survivors, the threat of re-victimization after already enduring abuse can be terrifying. In order for our communities to protect survivors, we must educate ourselves on re-victimization and why child sexual abuse survivors are the most at risk.
Understanding how abuse impacts survivors is a critical component of understanding why child sexual abuse survivors are more likely to be abused again. Perpetrators of child sexual abuse in positions of power, such as teachers, coaches, and priests, often target and groom specific victims, preying on those with unstable home lives. This practice of preying on specific children ruins children’s self-esteem, their ability to trust other people, and their ability to form healthy relationships later in life. In addition to social difficulties, child sexual abuse survivors are more likely to develop mental illnesses including depression, anxiety disorders like PTSD, and substance abuse problems.
There are multiple other factors that contribute to higher rates of re-victimization in child sexual abuse survivors. This study focused on three key factors: gender, the age when the child was abused, and whether or not the survivors previously suffered from mental illness. Mental illness proved to be the most troubling indicator of whether or not a survivor would be abused again. The study found that survivors who develop personality and/or anxiety disorders were about twice as likely to be victims of all kinds of crime than survivors who did not develop these disorders. Different mental illnesses also resulted in increased risks for different kinds of crime. For example, survivors who developed PTSD after their abuse were linked to higher instances of sexual abuse re-victimization.
In addition to being individually traumatizing and harmful, the cumulative effects of being repeatedly abused can result in more serious mental illness. Repeated abuse can result in complex trauma, which describes both children’s exposure to multiple traumatic events and the wide-ranging, long-term effects of this exposure. These events are severe and pervasive, such as abuse or profound neglect. This trauma can make survivors less likely to report their abuse and is the reason why many states are changing their statute of limitations laws. These new laws give survivors the time they need to come to terms with their abuse and the impact the abuse may have had on their lives.
Supporting survivors and protecting them from further abuse can seem like an impossible task. However, there are a few ways we as individuals and as a community can be helpful allies. Creating safe and open environments for survivors to talk about their abuse and connecting survivors with resources for professional mental health counseling are two of the most important ways we can help the survivors in our lives. We can also show our support by investing time and money into support organizations, academic studies, and legislation that understands the science of sexual abuse survivors and complex trauma.
For more information, visit our Getting Help page.