CSA / Child Sexual Abuse is often called “molestation,” in America, and literally “mishandeling” in Dutch, but these words don’t capture the reality of the crime, trauma, and resulting shame and fear of victims/survivors.
Impacts can be many, devastating, lifelong and with societal implications.. They can include depression and other mental health issues, alcohol and substance use/abuse, aggression, truancy (skipping school), criminality, promiscuity and sadly, suicide. Divorce and debt have also been linked with sexual abuse youth trauma.
Many kids cannot or won’t tell. It’s up to us to help.
Even child of 9 or 10 years old has an understanding of the destructive power of that disclosure– if they disclose abuse (by one parent) to (the other parent) what that’s going to do to their home.
Senior Partner, GWSLLP
