Common Reactions to Sexual Assault

 Common Post-trauma reactions include re-experiencing the traumatic event, avoidance and detachment, and increased arousal. In fact individuals who are sexually assaulted may experience:

·      recurrent nightmares

·      flashbacks

·      intense psychological distress related to memories of the trauma

·      feelings of detachment such as, inability to connect with others

·      loss of interest in activities that they previously enjoyed

·      difficulty sleeping

·      irritability or angry outbursts

·      difficulty concentrating

·      anxiety

·      feeling constantly “on guard.”

·      difficulty with relationships

·      fear and anxiety

·      feelings of losing control

·      guilt

·      a negative self-image

·      loss of interest in sex

·      physical reactions to the assault including aches and pains, sudden sweating and/or heart palpitations, constipation or diarrhea, and a lowered immune system.

Fear and anxiety can last for weeks, months, or even years.  These feelings are the most common response to sexual assault, but may or may not develop into Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.  Since individuals who are sexually assaulted have been forced to commit an act against their wills, they often feel like they are losing control of their lives.  They may also feel guilty due to self-blame, which can then affect their self-image.  Finally, after a sexual assault it is common for the victim to avoid sexual activity.

Common Reactions to Childhood Sexual Abuse

There is no single syndrome of problems that follow child sexual abuse.  Children will react differently depending on their age, pre-abuse psychological status, and the specific conditions of the episode of abuse. Children may experience Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in reaction to sexual assault or abuse.  Common symptoms of PTSD are re-experiencing the traumatic event, avoidance and detachment, and increased arousal.  Children may engage in repetitive play in which themes and aspects of the trauma are expressed and/or experience nightmares without recognizable content.  Other commonly observed reactions are anxiety, sadness, anger, shame, aggression, and inappropriate sexual behavior.

Parents typically experience significant distress following a child’s disclosure of sexual abuse.  Non-offending parents typically go through the progressive stages of grief in reaction to their child’s trauma.  The progressive stages of grief are denial, anger, bargaining, depression or sadness, and acceptance.  It is normal for the parent to initially feel denial when first hearing the news that their child was sexually abused.  Since the perpetrator is often someone known by the child, it may be difficult for the parent to accept the fact that someone they know could commit the abuse.  Once the parent accepts that the abuse occurred, he/she will often feel anger toward the perpetrator, child, or him/herself.  As the non-offending parent moves from the anger stage to the bargaining stage, they try to minimize the impact of the sexual abuse.  The depression stage occurs when the parent realizes the impact of the sexual abuse on the child and the family.  Finally, the parent will move into the acceptance stage, in which he/she will come to accept that the family can move on from the trauma. Parents of childhood sexual abuse victims may also experience symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) upon the child’s disclosure of the trauma.