Childhood Sexual Abuse & Sexual Assault.

Sexual abuse is an unspeakable act and yet the most effective path to recovery is talking about it.

Sexual abuse can happen to anyone, of any gender, at any age. It is common for sexual abuse survivors to experience a deeply felt sense of shame and humiliation about what happened. This can prevent survivors from accessing the help they need to move on.

Sexual abuse can (and does) happen to anyone – in Scotland alone, 1 in 20 children experience an act of sexual abuse before the age of 16. Unfortunately there is still a stigma attached to being the victim of sexual abuse, which is one of the main reasons only 38% of survivors report the abuse, and seek support. This needs to change!

The devastating effects of this violation of a child’s trust can stretch well into adulthood - especially as children frequently don’t tell anyone about the abuse when it occurs. A recent report found that 73% of child victims don’t disclose the abuse for at least a year, and 45% of victims don’t tell anyone for at least 5 years. Other victims never disclose the abuse. As the offender is often well known to the young person and their family, childhood sexual abuse is frequently repeated, sometimes for years. Rather than involving the violence that commonly co-occurs with sexual abuse in adulthood, the perpetrator uses promises, threats and bribes to take advantage of the child’s powerlessness and trust.

For those children that do find the courage to disclose the abuse (either immediately or later in life), feelings of being dismissed, not believed or even blamed can result in secondary assault and further traumatisation. Child sexual abuse victims are amongst the most vulnerable members of our society. We have a collective responsibility to listen to their experiences, protect them from further harm, and ensure they have ongoing access to specialist counselling support.

Sexual abuse counselling isn’t about reliving the trauma of what happened – it’s about reclaiming your sense of self in the aftermath of the abuse. SRFCA’s counsellors & psychologists can help you inhabit a life of your choosing, instead of being defined by events that happened beyond your control. Sexual abuse is never the victim’s fault, and seeking help after abuse is crucial to recovery. Just accessing this page and reading about specialist sexual abuse services, including trauma recovery counselling, is a huge step in the direction of healing and wellness.

Contact us here to continue your path to recovery and living the life you deserve.