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Written by guest co-author Thema Bryant-Davis, Ph.D and Erlanger A. Turner, Ph.D.
Sexual abuse and trauma of children and adolescents occur in many different forms. A national conversation has recently begun in the wake of the R. Kelly documentary, “Surviving R. Kelly”, that was broadcasted on Lifetime. The documentary highlighted multiple allegations of sexual misconduct and abuse by the R&B singer, primarily against African American girls. Conversations around misconduct have occurred over the years about the singer’s behavior. Despite the concerns, the documentary increased the artist’s record sales. In the aftermath of these events, Sony music reportedly dropped R. Kelly from their record label.
According to the American Psychological Association (APA; 2019), sexual abuse of children and adolescents may involve any of the following:
- Touching a child's genitals
- Having intercourse with child
- Engage in sex for the child
- Having sex in front of a child
- Have a chat session old person's genitals
- Using a child pornography
Mental health professionals note numerous negative outcomes associated with sexual abuse. However, data often shows that these allegations often don’t get reported. Some may be afraid to report sexual abuse to avoid breaking up a family (APA, 2019). Statistics (https://www.rainn.org/statistics) show that every 11 minutes a child is a victim of sexual violence (RAINN, 2019). Furthermore, 1 out of every 9 girls, and 1 out of every 53 boys under the age of 18 experience sexual abuse or assault at the hands of an adult (Finkelhor et al, 2014). Clearly this is a serious issue that has been occurring for many years that needs to be addressed.
The Effects of Sexual Trauma in Children and Adolescents
According to RAIIN (2019), victims of sexual abuse suffer both short- and long-term difficulties such as increased risk of developing substance use, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or depression. Childhood sexual trauma includes children and adolescents under the age of 18. The National Center for Victims of Crime also report that children who experienced sexual assault during their teenage years were 13 times more likely to experience rape or attempted rape during their first year of college.
Data from research studies have demonstrated that children who are victims of sexual abuse or assault experience numerous negative outcomes during childhood and as an adult. The following outcomes may result from sexual abuse in children or adolescents (APA, 2019; National Center for Victims of Crime, 2019):
- Low self-esteem
- Nightmares or bad dreams
- Feelings of worthlessness
- Difficulties with intimacy in relationships as an adult
- Being mistrustful of others
- Exhibit violence to solve problems
- Attempt suicide
- Increase their use of alcohol or drugs
- Abuse their own family
Barriers to Seeking Help
Despite these potential effects, many children and adolescents face barriers to seeking and receiving care. Some of the cross-cultural barriers include fear of the perpetrator, fear of not being believed, shame, lack of clarity about the abuse, hoping that ignoring it will make it stop, and self-blame (Morrison, Bruce, & Wilson, 2018). There are additional barriers that can be related to the cultural context of the child or adolescent (Collin-Vézina, De La Sablonnière-Griffin, Palmer, & Milne, 2015). For example, in terms of socio-economic status children may be aware that their family depends on the perpetrator financially. Youth from racial and ethnic groups with prior experiences of injustice such as profiling, brutality, or discrimination, may not see police officers or mental health professionals as safe resources for help. Lesbian, gay, or bisexual youth may fear blame and disbelief due to their family members’ or health professionals’ heterosexism. Children with disabilities may face communication challenges in disclosing abuse or adults may assume that the child is mistaken. A final and significant example is the experience of undocumented youth who may face fear of deportation of themselves or others.
Paths to Healing from Trauma
Researchers have found trauma-informed and culturally contextualized psychotherapy to be helpful in reducing depression, PTSD, self-harming behaviors, and suicidality among sexually abused children and adolescents (Jackson, 2018). Clinicians conduct these interventions in multiple formats such as individual psychotherapy, family psychotherapy, and group psychotherapy. Additional coping strategies that some children and adolescents have found helpful in the aftermath of sexual abuse include problem focused coping, emotion focused coping, journaling, expressive arts, mindfulness, talking with trusted adults, meaning making (spiritual or religious practices), and activism or volunteerism (Phanichrat, & Townshend, 2010).
Coping with sexual abuse or assault is difficult for both the individual and their families. As you might imagine, watching the Surviving R. Kelly documentary probably recreated emotions for many victims of trauma. Below are some resources to help move forward and cope with these challenges.
Resources for Coping with Sexual Abuse and Trauma
1. Visit the Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network
Website: https://www.rainn.org/
Hotline: 1-800-656-HOPE
2. National Organization for Victim Assistance
Website: https://www.trynova.org/
3. SAMHSA's National Helpline
Website: www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline
Phone: 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or TTY: 1-800-487-4889
4. For help locating African American providers, you can visit Melanin and Mental Health or Therapy for Black Girls.
5. You can also visit the Psychology Today directory or the APA Psychologist locator.
Copyright 2019 Thema Bryant-Davis, Ph.D. and Erlanger A. Turner, Ph.D.
About the Guest Co-Author
Thema Bryant-Davis, professor of psychology at Pepperdine University, directs the Culture and Trauma Research Lab. She is a past president of the Society for the Psychology of Women and a past American Psychological Association representative to the United Nations. The California Psychological Association also honored her with the 2015 Scholar of the Year award. Her contact information is available through her site: www.drthema.com
References
American Psychological Association (2019). Protecting Our Children From Abuse and Neglect. Retrieved January 15, 2019 from http://www.apa.org/pi/families/resources/abuse.aspx
Collin-Vézina, D., De La Sablonnière-Griffin, M., Palmer, A. M., & Milne, L. (2015). A preliminary mapping of individual, relational, and social factors that impede disclosure of childhood sexual abuse. Child Abuse & Neglect, 43, 123–134.
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.
Jackson, V. H. (2018). The role of cultural competence in trauma-informed agencies and services. In V. C. Strand & G. Sprang (Eds.), Trauma responsive child welfare systems. (pp. 41–64). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Morrison, S. E., Bruce, C., & Wilson, S. (2018). Children’s disclosure of sexual abuse: A systematic review of qualitative research exploring barriers and facilitators. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse: Research, Treatment, & Program Innovations for Victims, Survivors, & Offenders, 27(2), 176–194.
Phanichrat, T., & Townshend, J. M. (2010). Coping strategies used by survivors of childhood sexual abuse on the journey to recovery. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse: Research, Treatment, & Program Innovations for Victims, Survivors, & Offenders, 19(1), 62–78.
