Sexual abuse or sex abuse is abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another. It is often perpetrated using physical force, or by taking advantage of another.[ pp. 1–4.]
Molestation refers to an instance of sexual assault, especially when perpetrated against a child. The perpetrator is called (often )
Sexual abuse can be perpetrated against other vulnerable populations like the elderly, a form of elder abuse, or those with developmental disabilities.
Victims
Spouses
Spousal sexual abuse is a form of domestic violence. When the abuse involves threats of unwanted sexual contact or forced sex by a woman's husband or ex-husband, it may constitute
rape, depending on the jurisdiction, and may also constitute an assault.
Children
Child sexual abuse is a form of
child abuse in which a child is abused for the sexual gratification of an adult or older adolescent.
[
] It includes direct sexual contact, the adult or otherwise older person engaging indecent exposure (of the genitals, female nipples, etc.) to a child with intent to gratify their own sexual desires or to intimidate or groom the child, asking or pressuring a child to engage in sexual activities, displaying
pornography to a child, or using a child to produce child pornography.
[ Child sexual abuse definition from the NSPCC]
Effects of child sexual abuse include shame, self-blame,
Sexual abuse by a family member is a form of incest, which can result in severe long-term psychological trauma, especially in the case of parental incest.
Globally, approximately 18–19% of women and 8% of men disclose being sexually abused during their childhood.
People with developmental disabilities
People with developmental disabilities are often victims of sexual abuse. According to research, people with disabilities are at a greater risk for victimization of sexual assault or sexual abuse because of lack of understanding (Sobsey & Varnhagen, 1989).
Elderly and people with dementia
Elderly people, especially those with dementia, can be at risk of abuse. There were over 6,000 "safeguarding concerns and alerts" at UK care homes from 2013 to 2015. These included alleged inappropriate touching and worse allegations. Offenders were most often other residents but staff also offended. It is suspected some care homes may deliberately overlook these offenses.[ Sex crimes against the elderly - are they being ignored? BBC]
People in poverty
People in poverty, including those from developing countries, are vulnerable to forced prostitution,
Minorities
Sexual abuse is a problem in some minority communities. In 2007, a number of Hispanic victims were included in the settlement of a massive sexual abuse case involving the Los Angeles archdiocese of the Catholic Church.
Prisoners
Animals
Captive breeding activities are sometimes described as sexual abuse.
Treatment
In the emergency department, contraceptive medications are offered to women raped by men because about 5% of such rapes result in pregnancy.[ Any survivor with abrasions are immunized for tetanus if 5 years have elapsed since the last immunization.][ Short-term treatment with a benzodiazepine may help with acute anxiety and antidepressants may be helpful for symptoms of PTSD, depression and panic attacks.][
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Sexual abuse has been linked to the development of psychotic symptoms in abused children. Treatment for psychotic symptoms may also be involved in sexual abuse treatment.
In regards to long term psychological treatment, prolonged exposure therapy has been tested as a method of long-term PTSD treatment for victims of sexual abuse.
Prevention
Child sexual abuse prevention programmes were developed in the United States of America during the 1970s and originally delivered to children. Programmes delivered to parents were developed in the 1980s and took the form of one-off meetings, two to three hours long.
Survivor
The term survivor is sometimes used for a living victim, including victims of non-fatal harm, to honor and empower the strength of an individual to heal, in particular a living victim of sexual abuse or assault.
Positions of power
Sexual misconduct can occur where one person uses a position of authority to compel another person to engage in an otherwise unwanted sexual activity. For example, sexual harassment in the workplace might involve an employee being coerced into a sexual situation out of fear of being dismissed. Sexual harassment in education might involve a student submitting to the sexual advances of a person in authority in fear of being punished, for example by being given a failing grade.
Several sexual abuse scandals have involved religious abuse or religious settings and often cover-up among non-abusers, including cases in the Southern Baptist Convention,[ Abuse Scandal Plagues Hasidic Jews In Brooklyn by Barbara Bradley Hagerty. All Things Considered, National Public Radio. 2 February 2009.] other branches of Judaism,
In October 2020, a powerful member of the United Arab Emirates' royal family, Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, was accused of exploiting his authority by a British citizen, Caitlin McNamara, who was working on Abu Dhabi Hay Festival. On February 14 that year, the UAE's Minister of Tolerance called McNamara for a dinner at his villa on private island and sexually abused the woman, who was organizing the literary festival for the country.
Social media
Due to social media censorship algorithms, people wishing to discuss sex and particular sexual assault have adopted the 'algospeak'
Animals
Sexual abuse has been identified among animals as well, for example, among the Adélie penguins.
See also
Further reading
External links
