Adults Sexually Abused in Childhood
Given the prevalence of child sexual abuse, many adults live with the long-term impacts of abuse. Traumatic experiences can shift a person’s sense of safety, trust, self-esteem, intimacy, and control which can continue to impact all aspects of a survivor’s life long after the abuse has stopped.
It is common for people to wait until adulthood to reach out for support.
A survivor may have disclosed in the past and not been believed. A survivor may never have told anyone. It is never too late to reach out for support. It takes tremendous strength to talk with someone about childhood sexual abuse.
Some people struggle alone for years with feelings of shame, guilt, or blame. Survivors often think the abuse was their fault or that they were somehow to blame. This is not the case. Those who choose to use abusive behaviours are fully responsible for their actions.
In time and with support it is possible to move forward and experience healing.
Support is available
If you or someone you know has experienced childhood sexual abuse, support is available through your local sexual assault centre or Alberta’s One Line for Sexual Violence.
It is never too late to consider reporting childhood sexual abuse to the police. There are many reasons why someone may have chosen not to report when they were a child such as fear of not being believed, guilt or shame, thinking the abuse is their fault, not recognizing the experience as sexually abusive, etc. There is no statute of limitation on reporting sexual abuse in Alberta.
A positive and supportive first response to a disclosure of sexual violence can be the foundation of someone’s healing journey.
If you want to learn more about how to respond to disclosures of sexual violence, AASAS offers First Responder to Sexual Assault and Abuse Training.