Citation

Paul C, Manjunatha S, Lakshmi Pa A, Sharma G. Georgian Med. News 2024; (348): 28-31.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2024, International Academy of Science, Education, Industry and Arts)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

38807385

Abstract

Children who experience sexual abuse often face severe challenges in seeking help and disclosing their traumatic experiences.

OBJECTIVEs - to investigate critical aspects of information transfer, help-seeking behavior and the long-term psychological impact of child sexual abuse. This was a pilot study done on 114 victims of child sexual abuse. The study participants filled a semi-structured proforma through social media using Google forms. It was a descriptive cross-sectional study carried out using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) version 28. This pilot study on 114 child sexual abuse victims reveals critical insights. Only 15.8% confided in parents, while 37.7% turned to friends. Shockingly, 46.5% kept their ordeal hidden. Disturbingly, only 8.8% sought professional help. The impact on adult life was profound, with 70.2% reporting personal effects. Regrettably, 24.6% resorted to self-harm. Insights on reasons were stark: 63.1% felt defenseless, 23.7% lacked awareness, and 5.3% blamed lax legislation. Encouragingly, 86% actively raised awareness. The study provides a compelling view of child sexual abuse survivors, and emphasizes the need for improved communication within families, accessible support services, and educational initiatives.

Language: en

Keywords

Humans; Cross-Sectional Studies; Child; Adult; Female; Male; Middle Aged; Adolescent; Young Adult; Pilot Projects; Surveys and Questionnaires; Help-Seeking Behavior; *Child Abuse, Sexual/psychology/statistics & numerical data