Adolescents who experienced childhood sexual abuse are likely to experience psychological trauma. Several studies have confirmed that there is a relationship between CSA and experiencing psychological trauma, also known as psychological injury. Psychological injury includes “major depressive disorder, dysthymia, generalized anxiety disorder, and phobic disorders, which may manifest themselves in the short-term and/or become chronic” (Amado et al., 2015, p. 50). Ivanov, Platonova, and Kozlovskaya (2015) divided the psychopathologic effects of CSA into three categories including acute, subacute, and remote. Acute is the immediate reaction to the trauma, subacute occurs six months after the trauma and is called post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and remote is the effects observed over the five years following the trauma and is defined as conduct disorder, otherwise known as personality development disorder. Along with experiencing psychological disorders and trauma, adolescents who have experienced child sexual abuse are also found to experience sexual victimization. Bransen, Lasgaard, Koss, Shevlin, Elklit, and Banner (2013) established that the biggest factor contributing to increased risk of adolescent sexual victimization is a history of CSA. While CSA has been connected to the sexual victimization of adolescents, the factors underlying this phenomenon have not been thoroughly researched. Traumatic sexualization, a concept introduced by Finkelhor and Browne, explaines the connection between CSA and adolescent’s risk of sexual revictimization. Their theory hypothesizes that when a child experiences sexual abuse, it distorts the idea of normal sexuality in the child’s mind, which results in an escalated rate of sexual interaction due to confusion about normal sexual behaviors and standards. The theory also suggests that the abuse taught the child that sex
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He found that adolescents who have experienced CSA have low sexual refusal assertiveness, which is the inability to refuse unwanted sexual advances. Similarly, Randolph and Mosack (2006) also found a direct relationship between severe sexual abuse in childhood and increased permissive attitudes towards sex. This explains why adolescence who have a history of CSA are more prone to revictimization because they are less likely to make it clear that they do not want to engage in sexual behavior (Bransen et al., …show more content…
High-risk sexual behaviors include having voluntary sex at an early age, many sexual partners, and failure to use protection during sex, which can lead to transactions of sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy (Francisco et al., 2008; Randolph & Mosack, 2006). Randolph and Mosack (2006) discovered that female adolescents who have experienced CSA consistently report their first voluntary intercourse experience as having occurred at a younger age than female adolescents who do not have experience with CSA. Another study found that adolescents with a history of CSA were significantly more likely to initiate sexual behaviors before the age of fourteen, than adolescents who had not experienced CSA. Adolescents with a background of CSA are also highly likely to have multiple sexual partners. Research has found that these adolescents typically have at least three sexual partners in a span of three months (Francisco et al., 2008).
Research has also identified strong relationships between CSA and failure to use protection thus contracting sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV aids and pregnancy. Francisco, Hicks, Powell, Styles, Tabor, and Hulton (2008) in their study of the effects of CSA on adolescent pregnancy noted that:
It is not clear if the relationship between childhood sexual abuse and risky sexual behavior stems primarily from the association
He found that adolescents who have experienced CSA have low sexual refusal assertiveness, which is the inability to refuse unwanted sexual advances. Similarly, Randolph and Mosack (2006) also found a direct relationship between severe sexual abuse in childhood and increased permissive attitudes towards sex. This explains why adolescence who have a history of CSA are more prone to revictimization because they are less likely to make it clear that they do not want to engage in sexual behavior (Bransen et al., …show more content…
High-risk sexual behaviors include having voluntary sex at an early age, many sexual partners, and failure to use protection during sex, which can lead to transactions of sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy (Francisco et al., 2008; Randolph & Mosack, 2006). Randolph and Mosack (2006) discovered that female adolescents who have experienced CSA consistently report their first voluntary intercourse experience as having occurred at a younger age than female adolescents who do not have experience with CSA. Another study found that adolescents with a history of CSA were significantly more likely to initiate sexual behaviors before the age of fourteen, than adolescents who had not experienced CSA. Adolescents with a background of CSA are also highly likely to have multiple sexual partners. Research has found that these adolescents typically have at least three sexual partners in a span of three months (Francisco et al., 2008).
Research has also identified strong relationships between CSA and failure to use protection thus contracting sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV aids and pregnancy. Francisco, Hicks, Powell, Styles, Tabor, and Hulton (2008) in their study of the effects of CSA on adolescent pregnancy noted that:
It is not clear if the relationship between childhood sexual abuse and risky sexual behavior stems primarily from the association