FAQ: impacts of sexual assault & sexual abuse

Anyone, female or male, who has been sexually abused or assaulted experiences lasting effects and suffers emotional pain. The traumatic disruption of body and spirit profoundly affects survivors in many painful ways, and no two people will suffer - or recover - in exactly the same manner, intensity or time frame.

There's no right or wrong way to feel in the days, months and years following sexual abuse or sexual assault. These impacts are all common reactions to sexual assault. A survivor may experience some or many of these impacts at some point along their individual pathway to recovery:

• Shock
• Confusion
• Feeling unclean or dirty
• Anger
• Anxiety
• Panic attacks
• Emotional numbness
• Depression
• Suicidal feelings
• Fear (generalized or specific)
• Self-blame
• Guilt
• Helplessness
• Shame
• Hopelessness
• Mood swings
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Flashbacks
• Negative self-image
• Lack of trust
• Lack of assertiveness
• Memory lapses
• Inability to concentrate
• Nightmares
• Sleep pattern changes
• Headaches
• Loss of appetite
• Substance abuse
• Sexual dysfunction
• Promiscuity
• Avoidance of intimacy
• Problems in parenting
• Sexually transmitted infections
• Pregnancy
  

Many of the impacts of sexual abuse and sexual assault may arise some time after the experience, and may persist while the survivor sorts through what has happened. When these symptoms continue despite efforts of the survivor to heal and move forward with their life, it may be helpful to reach out for counselling support.

A survivor's customary feeling of personal safety and security often crumbles in the aftermath of sexual violence. The ability to trust, both in themselves and in others, can be greatly reduced.

Survivors of child sexual abuse sometimes create coping mechanisms as children that are carried forward into adulthood, where they no longer work well and can even cause new problems to develop.

Young women who experience sexual assault may also be strongly affected by the reactions of others, including parents, siblings and peers. In today's hyperactive social media world, rumours and gossip can spread in a matter of seconds. Peers can be especially insensitive about a situation they have few facts about and don't understand.

Family and friends of survivors will become "secondary victims" of the experience. Spouses and partners are often the ones most affected in this way, and can find themselves struggling with relationship challenges even while they try to be the survivor's primary source of emotional support.

Parents of survivors face extremely difficult circumstances. Emotional turmoil is often coupled with frustration at the inability to heal a child's pain, and confusion about emerging changes in the child's behaviour. Supporting a child's recovery process can drain physical energies and emotional resources, and the parents' own relationship may experience stress.

Depending on circumstances, families can come together or be pulled apart by their reactions to sexual violence. At any age, brothers and sisters can be supportive of their abused sibling or feel resentful about the added attention they receive. If the offender was a trusted relative, feelings of disbelief or denial can emerge to cause internal family conflict.

Our culture minimizes the impacts of sexual abuse and sexual assault. Survivors may be accused of lying or told that the crime is in some way their own fault. Survivors who choose to report the crime can sometimes discover they lack support from family and friends for doing so. The reverse situation may also occur: those who don't want to report the crime can feel strong pressure from their families or friends to do so.

Women from "marginalized" communities, including immigrant or refugee women, elderly women, Aboriginal women, women with disabilities, lesbians, homeless women, women in prison and women from low-income households can face additional obstacles when attempting to recover from - or even report - sexual abuse or sexual assault. Access to resources and support can be limited for these individuals.

AASAS member agencies are able to help anyone who suffers sexual abuse or sexual assault, or whose life is affected by a loved one's experience. If you're ready, you can click here to connect with resources in your community and begin your recovery process.