When we do things out of season, or out of context, it can cause harm to us and others. This goes for most things in life, and it certainly applies to sex, which God designed to be enjoyed within the safety of a consensual and committed marriage relationship between adults. One of the most painful and egregious ways sex can be abused is through sexual abuse.
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Sexual abuse refers to sexual acts that occurs without consent. There are many forms including, unwanted touching of another person’s body or genitalia, compelled oral sex, and rape. Sexual abuse is also referred to as sexual assault or sexual violence.
Sexual abuse can also refer to other acts, including when an adult watches a child for sexual reasons, or they expose themselves to a child, or show them sexual materials such as pornography.
Whatever the act, and whatever the circumstances in which it occurs, it is not the fault of the survivor that it happened. Through people such as the Christian counselors at Keller Christian Counseling, help is available to begin healing from such abuse.
Unfortunately, sexual abuse is quite common, and it affects children, men, and women. According to the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control, and the Advocacy Center, one in three women in the United States experience sexual violence of some kind in their lifetimes, while one in six men are victims. Shockingly, one in three girl children are sexually assaulted before the age of eighteen, and for boys its one in five.
Knowing the signs of sexual abuse can help give a voice for children, who often cannot speak for themselves. It can enable you to come alongside a friend in support when they experience abuse. Some of the signs that a child or teen is being sexually abused may include the following:
- Avoiding or being afraid of being left alone with people or a specific person
- Refusing to go to school
- Using inappropriate sexual language
- Displaying an inappropriate knowledge of sex for their age
- Pregnancy
- Having difficulty walking or sitting
- Experiencing pain, bleeding, itching, bruising to the genital area or anus
- Unusual discharge from or around genitalia
- Bed-wetting
- Urinary infections or sexually transmitted infections
- Refusal to change for PE or participate in physical activities
- Engaging in sexualized behavior in their play or with other children
- Changes in their eating habits
- Sleep disturbances or nightmares
- Running away from home
- Lack of peer relationships
- Substance use
- Anxiety and mood disorders (depression)
- Self-harm or attempts at suicide
Sexual abuse can also occur online, and it may result in the following behaviors:
- Being distant, upset, or angry after being online or texting
- Spending more time than usual online, texting, or gaming
- Having lots of new phone numbers, texts, or messages
- Being secretive about what they are doing online or who they are talking to
In an adult, some of the signs of sexual abuse may include the following:
- Emotional outbursts, including irritability, anger, weeping
- Being restless or agitated
- Being lethargic and listless
- Having a dislike of specific places, smells, sounds, situations, or people
- Having a fear of intimacy
- Struggling with establishing boundaries
- Fear of being alone
- Inability to trust other people
- Chronic pain, including joint pain and persistent headaches
- Digestive issues
- Gynecological disorders
- Self-destructive and risky behaviors
- Changing in eating, including eating too much, too little, or developing an eating disorder
- Weight changes
- Changes in sleep patterns, including struggling to fall or stay asleep, or sleeping too much
- Immune system disorders
- Sexual dysfunction
- Substance abuse
- Depression and anxiety
Sexual abuse can affect a person in different ways, and its impact could last a lifetime. Some survivors of chronic child sexual abuse cope by dissociating, which is unconsciously disconnecting from reality. Sexual abuse can affect a person mentally, emotionally, and physically.
A person can have a loss of their sense of safety or difficulty trusting people. The victim may struggle with feelings of shame or guilt. They can even deny it even happened or repress memories of the assault as a way of trying to minimize the weight of the experience.
Most certainly sexual abuse can damage self-confidence and sabotage one’s career and relationships. The affected individual may struggle with concentration and nightmares. Mood disorders can emerge in the form of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Some may consider self-harm or even suicidal ideation or numb the pain with eating disorders or substance abuse.
There may even be physical complaints from injuries to areas affected by the assault.
It is possible to find healing after sexual abuse through Christian counseling that involves healing of the body, thoughts, and emotions as well. Christian sexual abuse therapy delivered by Keller Christian Counseling in Keller, Texas can effectively address the trauma of sexual abuse.
Through therapies such as trauma-focused therapy, a survivor of sexual abuse can learn to identify their emotions, grow in understanding their feelings, as well as their capacity to process these emotions and memories. With the help of a Christian counselor in Keller, Texas, freedom can be found.
Not only that, but therapy can also help survivors learn self-compassion, restore their confidence, cultivate emotional resilience, learn to assert healthy boundaries, develop coping skills, and learn how to manage stress. Guilt, shame, and self-blame often accompany sexual abuse, and so being able to show yourself compassion is a valuable skill.
Other therapies that the counselors at Keller Christian Counseling may use include prolonged exposure therapy, cognitive processing therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization, and reprocessing therapy, as well as art therapy.
Using various therapies and providing you or your child with a safe space to unpack their thoughts, feelings, and experiences, the Christian counselors at Keller Christian Counseling in Texas can be your compassionate companion on your journey toward healing from sexual abuse. Contact our office to find Christian counseling in Keller, Texas today.
Get connected with a Christian Counselor
Please contact our reception team at
(817) 918-1787