Child sexual abuse and exploitation

Child sexual abuse, any sexual activity by an adult, adolescence, or another child, is a hapless and common reality in today’s society. Child sexual abuse does not restrict to one demographic but is universal to various races, cultures, and socioeconomic backgrounds, affecting millions of children worldwide. 

There are two main types of child sexual abuse, touching and non-touching. Touching sexual abuse includes touching a child’s genitals, making a child touch someone else’s genitals, etc. Non-touching abuse includes showing pornography to a child, prostitution or trafficking a child, exposing a person’s genitals to a child, or photographing a child in sexual activities. 

For both types of child sexual abuse, the most common predators are known to the victim, including family members, friends, coaches, etc. In a 2003 National Institute of Justice report, it has been found that around 75% of victims that were sexually abused knew their abuser. 

There are endless effects on child sexual abuse, affecting each individual differently. Shelley Bustamante, the leader of Students Offering Support at Carlmont, went into detail on the impact of child sexual abuse.

“The psychological effects include but are not limited to PTSD, depression, dissociative disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorder, and suicidal ideation,” Bustamante said. 

Although all children are at risk for child sexual abuse, females, children with low self-esteem, children from single-parent households, and children in third world countries are more at risk for child sexual abuse. 

With sexual abuse, clinical experience and research have shown that time alone does not heal traumatized children. Although each individual is different, their psychological trauma can diminish their self-esteem, personality, and quality of life if not treated properly.