Understanding the Impact of Childhood Sexual Abuse
Learn about how childhood sexual abuse can affect adult survivors, and discover pathways to healing and recovery. Professional insight to help you understand and process your experiences.
How Childhood Sexual Abuse Affects Survivors
The impact of childhood sexual abuse can be wide-ranging and different for each person. While some survivors experience few mental health challenges, others may face various difficulties throughout adulthood. Understanding these effects helps validate your experiences and supports your journey toward healing.
Common Challenges Survivors Face
Many survivors experience various challenges that can affect different aspects of their lives. Understanding these experiences can help you recognise you're not alone:
Difficulty with trust and maintaining healthy relationships
Feelings of shame, guilt, or self-blame
Challenges with physical and emotional intimacy
Struggling with anxiety and hypervigilance
Experiencing unexpected emotional responses
Difficulty maintaining boundaries
Understanding the Scale of Impact
Pathways to Understanding and Healing
Understanding that your responses are normal reactions to trauma can help reduce feelings of isolation and self-judgment.
Recognising the connection between physical and emotional health helps you develop comprehensive self-care strategies.
Accessing specialist trauma support can help you process experiences and develop coping strategies at your own pace.
Survivor Resources & Research
Learning from other survivors journeys can be a powerful tool, and make you feel much less alone. Access specialist articles, survivor stories, and evidence-based research about childhood sexual violence recovery and support.
Articles and guides covering trauma responses, recovery stages, and practical support strategies for survivors of childhood sexual violence.
A curated collection of poems written by survivors of sexual abuse, sharing personal experiences of trauma, healing, and recovery. *Please note that whilst this content is moderated you may find some of it triggering so please take care*
Key findings from our research , revealing crucial insights into sexual violence and abuse, how survivors access support services, costs to the NHS and survivor experiences, and more
With your support, we can help more survivors access the support they need when they need it. Every donation directly funds our work to supporting those affected by sexual violence.
