Prevalence and Correlates of Child Sexual Abuse - Research Paper Example

 Prevalence and correlates of child sexual abuse Whereas sexual abuse of any nature is a crime and has far-reaching impacts with regards to the way in which an individual matures and develops, those acts of sexual abuse which are perpetrated towards a child are especially horrific. This is due in part to the fact that childhood is a formative time which relationships are defined, trust is instilled, and definitions of normality are created. Within such an understanding, the reader can come to a quick realization of the fact that sexual abuse perpetrated towards a child can have a powerful impact upon interrupting this delicate dynamic and process of growth. Many of the studies and research proposals that it been conducted with regards to this particular topic had been concentric upon seeking to reduce the exhibition of child sex abuse that takes place within the current environment. Although these are extraordinarily important in helping to solve the issue, one aspect that was allocated to during the course of the semester is with regards to actually helping the child who is abuse, or possibly even the adult to continues to suffer the posttraumatic impacts of this abuse, to cope with life and continued in as normal a path as possible. Although such a focus does not diminish the need for strict penalties for those who assault children in a sexual manner, it has a profound impact upon the ability of the affected individual to recover and return to society as a functional human being. Thankfully, even though I have no direct experience, nor do I know of anyone was willingly offered information concerning their own sexual abuse as a child, the information that is been engaged during the course of the semester has allowed me to expound upon this topic to a degree of familiarity that most individuals may not have less lives through such traumatic experience. Sadly, what is exhibited all too often is a situation in which the victim of the sexual abuse blames themselves and carries a burden of psychological trauma and harm well into the future; affecting relationships, the ability to parent, and even the innate capability of having fun and experiencing joy or sexual relations in the future. Interestingly, even though there is a market deviation between more common forms of physiological health and psychological health, a noted similarity that exists between the two is with regards to the time sensitivity that child sexual abuse treatment has with regards to the overall prognosis that it might expect to enjoy (Murphy, 2008). In much the same way that an individual who is burned has only a certain amount of time to receive timely medical care prior to long-lasting impacts of this trauma existing in the form of scars for the rest of their life, an individual who is sexually abused experiences the most benefit from having immediate counseling and/or therapy as a means to deflect many of the long-term implications that such an abuse might otherwise portend. This should not be understood to mean that if an individual experiences sexual abuse, they merely need to engage with psychological help as soon as possible in order to experience no future repercussions; rather, it merely denotes the fact that it is of the utmost importance to seek out psychological help in order to avert many of the negative side effects that so often play individuals who have been sexually abused as a child (Sinanan, 2011). Another pertinent and relevant aspect of child sexual abuse that makes it even more traumatizing than sexual abuse at another juncture of an individual’s life is with respect to the interruption of sexual development that oftentimes takes place as a direct result of its existence. What is meant by this is the fact that children undergo a series of stages for sexual development as they mature the Michael and both physically and mentally. However, a litany of studies have indicated that sexual abuse as a child has a profound the likelihood of interrupting or misdirecting the natural rate of child sexual development and maturity that might otherwise exists. Within such a way, the prior reference to the litany of traumatized individuals within society that point to sexual abuse as a child as an excuse for some of the heinous activities that they had committed in adulthood, oftentimes referred to the fact that the sexual abuse they experienced ultimately created a situation in which they were unable to mature and develop in a healthy manner (Pérez-Fuentes et al., 2013). Although it is not the purpose of this brief analysis to differentiate whether or not the cases of child sexual abuse that are oftentimes reference with regards to providing an excuse are indeed relevant, it must be understood that the sheer weight in numbers of this group demands the reader pay relevant attention to the information at hand. In seeking to apply the issue of child sexual violence to my own culture and national origin, it can definitively be said that recent scholarship has indicated that the rates of child sexual abuse within Saudi Arabia are precipitously higher than the remainder of the world. Although this may come as something of a shock to an individual who understands Saudi Arabia as a nation constrained by strict Islamic morals and cultural traditions, the fact of the matter is the extent to which women and men had been cloistered from one another and segregated within society has created a situation that is ripe for child sexual violence. As compared to many of the other nations in question, inclusive of the United States, child sexual violence is massively underreported and a crime that continues to plague Saudi society within the current era. Although a great dissimilarity exists between cultures, it cannot be said that the approach to ending and ameliorating child sexual violence within Saudi Arabia is necessarily inherently different that it would be in any other region (Alansari, 2006). Rather, the approach that should be leveraged is universal and will further be elaborated upon below. All in all, helping individuals who have been exposed to child sexual violence in the past is a powerful means of affecting a greater social good. Although a litany of statistics exists with respect to the overall incidence of child sexual abuse exists within the current world, regardless of the statistic that is cited, the overall level of incidents is horrifying. In such a way, although it is needful to engage in seeking to leverage the criminal justice system to reduce the overall exhibition of child abuse and sexual crime in society, a far more actionable an appropriate approach within the current era is to focus upon rehabilitating individuals that have been impacted upon by such a negative externality. This cannot and should not be done to the exclusion of the other compound parts of reducing child sexual violence; rather, it must be done alongside it, and perhaps with even as much for as is possible. Regardless of the nation under analysis, child sexual abuse has profound ramifications on the health and levels of life enjoyment that participants within a society can come to appreciate. As long as rates of child sexual abuse continue to remain high, the level and extent to which well adjusted and productive members of society can integrate with currents needs and come to raise healthy families of their own will be diminished. However, rather than viewing this as a losing struggle that must be acted upon by law enforcement as a means of improving, this analysis, informed by the subject matter of this course, has come to the conclusion that the impacts of child sexual abuse can be stymied, at least in part, by an aggressive therapy and counseling program initiated soon after the incident/incidents have occurred. References Alansari, B. M. (2006). GENDER DIFFERENCES IN DEPRESSION AMONG UNDERGRADUATES FROM SEVENTEEN ISLAMIC COUNTRIES. Social Behavior & Personality: An International Journal, 34(6), 729-738. Murphy, C. (2008, December 10). 'Mercy' ad campaign urges Saudis to treat foreign workforce humanely. Christian Science Monitor. p. 4. Pérez-Fuentes, G., Olfson, M., Villegas, L., Morcillo, C., Wang, S., & Blanco, C. (2013). Prevalence and correlates of child sexual abuse: a national study. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 54(1), 16-27. doi:10.1016/j.comppsych.2012.05.010 Sinanan, A. N. (2011). The Impact of Child, Family, and Child Protective Services Factors on Reports of Child Sexual Abuse Recurrence. Journal Of Child Sexual Abuse, 20(6), 657-676. doi:10.1080/10538712.2011.622354 Read More