Childhood Sexual Abuse

Childhood sexual abuse is one of the most harmful and hidden forms of trauma. When sexual harm happens during childhood — at a time when the brain, body, and identity are still forming — it shapes emotional development, sense of safety, boundaries, trust, and the nervous system in profound ways.

For many survivors, the trauma didn’t just happen once. It happened in the context of family, community, or trusted relationships. This makes the wound not only physical or psychological, but relational.

And because so many children cannot speak about what happened — or are not believed when they do — childhood sexual abuse often becomes a lifelong secret carried alone.

At Little River Psychological Services, we name the truth clearly:

Children cannot consent. Children are never responsible. And childhood sexual trauma leaves an impact that deserves deep, compassionate care.

What Counts as Childhood Sexual Abuse?

Childhood sexual abuse includes any sexual contact, exposure, or interaction between a child and an adult, or between children when one child has more power, age, or authority.

This includes:

• Fondling or touching of genitals
• Exposure to sexual acts or pornography
• Oral, anal, or vaginal penetration
• Attempted penetration
• Sexualized games or “curiosity” initiated by an older individual
• Forcing a child to touch someone else
• Sexual comments directed at a child
• Coercing or manipulating a child into sexual activity
• Sexual exploitation (including online abuse)
• Trafficking or exchanging sexual acts for basic needs

A child cannot meaningfully understand consent, power, or boundaries. Therefore, all sexual involvement with a minor is abuse.

Why Childhood Sexual Abuse Is So Impactful

Sexual trauma during childhood disrupts development in several domains:

Emotional Development

Children who experience sexual abuse often struggle with overwhelming emotions, chronic shame, guilt, fear, or confusion. Their brains are not able to process it the way an adult can.

Attachment + Trust

If the abuser was a parent, sibling, relative, or community member, the child learns: “I am not safe with the people who are supposed to protect me.” This shapes attachment patterns throughout life.

Nervous System Regulation

Children store trauma somatically — meaning in the body’s stress and alarm systems (Van der Kolk, 2014). This can create long-term anxiety, hypervigilance, dissociation, or emotional shutdown.

Sense of Self

Children internalize shame deeply. They may believe:

• “This is my fault.”
• “Something is wrong with me.”
• “I did something to cause this.” These beliefs often follow survivors into adulthood.

Boundaries + Body Autonomy

Because their boundaries were violated before they were learned, many adult survivors struggle with:

• Saying “no”
• Recognizing danger
• Trusting safe people
• Feeling safe in their own bodies

Sexual Development

Childhood abuse can shape adult intimacy, sexual desire, comfort with touch, and feelings about the body.

Childhood sexual trauma is not something people “get over.” It is something they learn to heal, reclaim, integrate, and move through — at their own pace.

Why Children Rarely Tell

Children often do not disclose sexual abuse until adulthood. Silence is a survival strategy.

Reasons children stay silent include:

• Fear of punishment
• Confusion about what happened
• Loyalty to the abuser if they are a family member
• Fear of breaking up the family
• Shame or embarrassment
• Threats from the abuser
• Cultural or religious messages about obedience
• Lack of safe adults
• Not having the language to describe what happened
• Dissociation or memory gaps

It is common for childhood abuse survivors to forget details or large portions of the trauma. This does not mean the trauma wasn’t real — it means the mind protected them.

Childhood Sexual Abuse in Black and Indigenous Communities

For Black survivors, the legacy of enslavement — where children and adults were sexually violated openly — created generational patterns of secrecy, silence, and survival. Many Black families learned to “keep things in the house,” making disclosure harder.

For Indigenous survivors, boarding schools and forced assimilation policies created environments where Native children were targeted, abused, and silenced. The MMIWG crisis disproportionately impacts Native youth and shapes community trauma.

Both communities also face:

• Underreporting
• Distrust of law enforcement
• Fear of state involvement
• Lack of culturally safe resources
• Higher rates of victim-blaming
• Generational patterns of silence

Understanding the cultural context of trauma helps survivors see that their pain did not begin with them — and it does not have to end with them.

Common Adult Symptoms for Childhood Sexual Abuse Survivors

Survivors often experience symptoms across multiple areas:

Emotional

• Shame
• Self-blame
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Emotional numbing
• Difficulty trusting others

Physical

• Pelvic pain
• Gastrointestinal issues
• Somatic tension
• Sleep difficulties
• Chronic pain

Relational

• Fear of intimacy
• Difficulty setting boundaries
• Choosing unsafe partners
• Over-accommodating or people-pleasing

Sexual

• Avoidance of sexual activity
• Pain during sexual contact
• Hypersexuality as coping
• Discomfort with touch

Cognitive

• Memory gaps
• Difficulty concentrating
• Dissociation

These are trauma responses — not personality flaws.

Healing Childhood Sexual Trauma

Healing is possible at any age. Many survivors do not begin this work until their 20s, 30s, 40s, or even later.

At Little River Psychological, we guide survivors through:

Rebuilding Safety

Creating a grounded foundation for the body and nervous system.

Naming the Trauma

Understanding what happened with clarity and compassion.

Releasing Shame

Learning that there is nothing a child could do to “deserve” what happened.

Body-Based Healing

Using somatic tools, grounding, and gentle reconnection practices.

Inner Child Work

Helping the adult survivor nurture the younger self who never felt safe.

Boundaries + Consent Education

Relearning the right to say “no,” to rest, and to choose safety.

Relationship Healing

Exploring patterns shaped by childhood trauma.

Dream-Based Healing

Dreams often hold symbolic fragments of childhood trauma. We help survivors interpret these patterns gently and meaningfully.

Healing childhood sexual abuse is slow, sacred work — but survivors reclaim their power, one step at a time.

For crisis support:

• RAINN (National Sexual Assault Hotline): 1-800-656-4673
• Crisis Text Line: Text HOME or CONNECT to 741741
• Native Text Line: Text NATIVE
• BlackLine: Call/text 1-800-604-5841
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call/text 988
• IHS Suicide Prevention: https://www.ihs.gov/suicideprevention

You are not alone. You deserve safety. You deserve healing.

References

Finkelhor, D. (2008). Childhood Victimization. Oxford University Press.

Putnam, F. W. (2003). Ten-year research update review: Child sexual abuse. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 42(3), 269–278.

Van der Kolk, B. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score. Viking.

Widom, C. S., & Morris, S. (1997). Accuracy of adult recollections of childhood victimization. Child Abuse & Neglect, 21(8), 741–753.