What is Sexual Abuse?

By Anjali 9 Minutes Read

INTRODUCTION

Sexual abuse widely & commonly referred to as molestation is obnoxious sexual behaviour by one person towards another. Sexual abuse is sexual behaviour, or a sexual act forced upon a young woman, man, or child without their consent by another person. Sexual abuse is an offence against children, not adults.

Most victims of sexual violence are young women & children – a fact that reflects their social viewpoint even today, in the 21st century, as inferior to men. In the milieu of women, violence is another means of oppressing women in a male-controlled society or patriarchal society. It is often perpetrated using force or by taking advantage of another through the mode of making the victim that weak both physically & mentally that he/she cannot oppose it. When force is instantaneous, of short duration, or sporadic, it is called sexual assault. The guilty is referred to as a sexual abuser or often derogatively, molester. 

The use of any individual who cannot be referred as an adult( legally) or of an age younger than the age of consent or a minor for sexual spur is referred to as child sexual abuse or carnal abuse. Online streaming of sexual abuse involves trafficking and forced sexual acts and or rape in real-time or recorded videos on & through webcam. The victims are generally drugged or blackmailed or coerced to the point till they submit to be part of it.

It is a social sensation that exists in every society that exists which accepts hostile behavior and gender inequality. It does not come from an irrepressible sex drive but is a crime committed consciously with the aim of restraining and demeaning the victim. Israel is among them. Numerous women turn to the rape catastrophe centers for help after an attack, and the statistics show that 1 in 3 women will be sexually abused during their lifetime Most victims and wrongdoers recognize each other. The reactions to these sexual abuses include shock, fear, or disbelief, or even no more desire to live. Some long-term symptoms include angst commonly known as anxiety, fear, or post-traumatic stress syndrome. It has long-lasting & emotional & as well as physical effects on the victims regardless of the age when the trauma ensued.

TYPES OF SEXUAL ABUSE

Sexual abuse is are of two types namely – CONTACT & NON-CONTACT abuse. Contact abuse is in short, a type of abuse where you abuse the victim in person whereas Non-contact abuse is done via live streaming, videos & various other not in person medium.

CONTACT ABUSE

Abuse doesn’t need to only be of the penetrative type, contact abuse can be oral in type including touching, kissing & various other things excluding intercourse. Contact abuse is something where the abuser molests the victim in person making physical contact.

This includes:

• touching of any part of a child’s body inappropriately, with or without clothes.
• penetrating any the body parts or any object into victims’ body with intention of rape or physical abuse.
• obliging a child to take part in sexual activities over & again
• making the minor unwillingly to strip himself/herself in front of abuser or group of abusers collectively abusing or forcing to touch the abuser or to something to excite.

NON-CONTACT ABUSE

It is a type of abuse where the victim is not touched but still, he/she is abused. This is basically of online type and further includes:

• revealing or displaying
• pornography i.e. strip off in webcam
• subjecting a child to sexual acts
• getting them into masturbate
• compelling a child share naked images or videos
• sharing the videos & images online
• forcing a child to engage in sexual activities or conversations electronically through laptops, computers& smartphones

SIGNS OF SEXUAL ABUSE

If we get to know the signs of sexual abuse, then might be we will be able to reduce the offense of sexual abuse. Not all children are that mature to understand what they are going through & those who understand something are usually too scared to share it with their elder ones. Not always the following signs reflect the sexual abuse but its an alert to the parents that something is wrong with their children.

EMOTIONAL & BEHAVIOURAL SIGNS

1. They are generally afraid of both – being alone & being in-crowd. They are even afraid of being around known people.
2. Nightmares / bed-wetting
3. Alcohol or drug addict
4. Trying to harm themselves
5. Always lost in their thoughts

PHYSICAL SIGNS

1. Rashes & contusions
2. Bleeding, infection, discharge , soreness, pains in the private parts of the body.
3. AIDS; HIV & sexually transmitted disease
4. Pregnancy

IF THE CHILD IS BEING ABUSED ONLINE, THEN FOLLOWING CAN BE SYMPTOMS

1. A child spends more time in electronic gadgets, social media & other online things
2. Seem to disturb after using the internet.
3. Have secretive nature & be more introvert towards everything
4. Have a lot of messages, pings, contacts, phone numbers, etc.

CONCLUSION

Nowadays, sexual abuse is like an everyday thing, victims are not habitual of it, but they are options less. Minors are clueless about what is going through their life & what will be the impact afterward. Survivors of sexual abuse usually suppress their symptoms that may lead to depression. They further generate trust issues in relationships even in friendship, poor self-esteem, sexual & internal problems & a higher chance of getting addicted to drugs, cocaine, etc. Due to the physical and emotional abuse that occurs in sexual abuse, it would look like there would be a sensational impact on body image.

For parents, it is an essential message that if you feel like your children want to share something then you should listen to your child, maybe ignoring their talks today may result in bad tomorrow. And when they share, parents should not be judgmental that children regret that they shared their problem with you and get uncomfortable in sharing with you afterward. Make them realize that it’s okay, you are there with them, & they have not done any wrong by sharing with the parents. And after that rather than burying all the things in the grave, step forward and take a stand for your child by reporting it in police and get the culprit behind the bars because what can happen today, can happen tomorrow with anyone else’s child or even your child again.

Anjali