Psychology Today essays

Psychology Today essays We believe this anger over childhood sexual abuse is repressed until a time later in life, when it is triggered or permitted expression, as in psychotherapy. Pribor and Dinwiddie (1992) interviewed women incest survivors (N = 52, ages [is greater than or equal to] 23) to understand more precisely the psychiatric illnesses associated with child sexual abuse. Findings showed incest survivors had more anxiety, depression, and alcohol abuse than the women who did not have histories of sexual abuse. Briere (1989) discussed the effects of childhood sexual abuse on sexuality, and believes women may come to see sex as a potentially dangerous experience they use to achieve other goals such as money, security, or control over others. Blume (1990) wrote that sex can be seen by survivors as a substitute for unmet needs for human contact and affection. Finkelhor and Browne (1985) suggested that one result of childhood sexual abuse is revictimization that further damages the individual. Kitchens (1994) explored the psychosocial consequences of abuse on women, as well as the resulting sexual dysfunction once sexual victimization occurs. The author described the severity of these consequences as varying greatly depending on degree and duration of abuse, as well as the emotions surrounding the abuse. According to Depanfilis (1987), the ways a child reacts to the sexual abuse will depend on the age of the child, the relationship of the child to the abuser, the amount of force used by the perpetrator, the degree of shame felt by the child, and reactions of the child's parents and the professionals who intervene on the child's behalf. Westerlund (1992) discussed statements made by women concerning anger and ways they believed it influenced their sexuality. Comments included: "I'm tired of pretending to feel sexual and I'm angry at feeling like I've failed as a woman ... I'm angry that I'll never be `normal' sexually, that there will always be ...