What are the effects of child abuse on a person?

Answer 1

I would say that child abuse always has some effect.

But it is different for each individual. It depends on so many factors, what was the nature of the abuse, how long for, etc.

Abuse can range from one isolated incident involving mild inappropriate touching to the most horrific abuse of a very young child over a number of years by a close family relative.

Often it is the fact that the family ignores the abuse which can be more damaging than the abuse itself.

It also depends to some extent on the personality of the individual. Someone with a more extrovert personality who had at least one positive relationship in their early life will be more resiliant than an introverted person with no-one at all to take care of their emotional needs in childhood.

Abuse affects the capacity of the person to fully enjoy mature sexual relationships. It means that it is difficult to trust.

Therapy can help, but abuse is a life sentence.

Answer 2

How long do you have? Not long enough.

The side I see as a foster sister. My mom takes in teenage behavioral girls.

Most of the girls we have had have been thru hell and back. Eveything from beat the hell out of on a regular basis. To being sold for sex to perverts.

When you see the girls with all their goodies hanging out and sleeping with every man that looks at them. 9 times out of 10 they have beeen horribly molested by some pervert. That is the way they handle it. No self esteem at all.

One kid her mother told her "I am going to put you up for adoption" And DID IT! Kept the other kids and put the one child up for adoption. she also horribly sexually molested.

Girls who's parents constantly told them they were ugly. Worse thing to say to a person. Let alone your own child. But they do. I don't care if your child is butt ugly a parent should never do this to their kid.

Most of the girls are in alternative school because instead of being a parent and making the child learn. The child is at school acting out. fighting, cussing out the teacher and disrupting the class. Most are very behind school wise.

Some girls are able to get past the traumas of their childhoods and live a better life as an adult and others are not. They are tormented by those traumas and heaven forbid they have children. Many do the same to their kids.

So the effects are different. Just depends on the person if they got counseling and the quality of counseling they recieved. Not every counselor is trying to help. Some are just collecting a paycheck. Seen that too.

And thru all this, all they want is to go home. It dosen't mattter how good the foster home is.

Answer 3

We end up here at Yahoo Answers.

Seriously though, Lacking in contentment. low self esteem, lack of Parental Nurturing........looking for Love in all the wrong places...using Comedy and laughter to hide the torment of Emotion inside.

Making unhealthy decisions in just about everything.

Feeling uneasy and skeptical about questions regarding Child abuse and its effects.

I want to respond to someones answer about abused children and the voices in their head...doing the right thing....knowing the right thing...
Children that are abused tend to rely on their ability to Manipulate different situations, this is a skill that is learned to survive within their world of abuse.
So these children within their own minds truly believe that the reason they are doing what they are doing is valid. They may know right from wrong...but their right may be your wrong.

Just a suggestion for all....you never know what road one has traveled, the next time you come across the bruised shy child, take time to lend a Smile, they really do remember it.

Answer 4

Lots of different things. You can't really generalise. The experts say you either become introverted and shy or quite the opposite. I don't think it's that clear cut. But don't expect some complete wreck or psycho or some abusive person. It's more like this person knows exactly what to do and why things happen but he/she can't control the negativities that stop him/her doing something right. There's always that little voice in their heads that they can't get rid of. This little voice in the head tells them to stop doing certain things or to do certain things or leads them to believe in their irrational thoughts, which they perfectly know to be irrational. On top of that they even see the difference between what is normal and weird and they want to side with the normal thoughts but they can't help thinking the weird way. I think it also depends on what sort of abuse they had, e.g. sexual, emotional, physical etc..

Answer 5

Look at the documentaries on sexual predators where they talk to thier victims years later. Most of them are on meds, can't hold a job, homeless, ect... It is a terrible thing to take a child's innocence, one that Jesus said that the punishment in the afterlife would be worse than tying a millstone around thier necks and dropping them in the ocean. I can think of a lot worse for these creeps.

Answer 6

Serious enough, I reckon. Still that individual can decide he or she will not let himself or herself be disadvantaged in life.

Victims of child abuse often grow up with low self-esteem and bitterness. But a few have broken the mould and turned to positive outlets for those negative emotions.

The love that comes from Jesus Christ can restore joy and sunshine to that person's life though; that I know for sure.

Answer 7

They have a hard time trusting anyone, interpersonal relationships are strained and they sometimes turn into the person they don't want to be. (I married a woman who was a victim of child abuse. It's tough)

Answer 8

They vary. The person can end up with self esteem issues, lack of confidence, being very introverted and feel unworthy of love, they can also be very needy and clingy. Then there is also the ones who develop anger and trust issues, they may become abusers themselves. All of the results are devastating.

Answer 9

the effects of sexual abuse when I was a child are still with me I am female & 52 and very overweight ,this being my choice as if I am fat men won't fancy me so they leave me alone , then I don't suffer from them.

Answer 10

Unfortunately child abuse doesn't have a set manual for the effects. They vary considerably from person to person. Most of the charities often describe the symptons as a collective without taking into account the individual.
For instance the case of David Pelzer he suffered severe abuse at the hands of his mother and neglect at the hands of his father however he has become a world renowned author with a child of his own. However he has also probably has therapy and counselling to deal with his childhood.
Others who suffer the same may turn into abusers when they grow up in a vicious cycle. But this isn't always the case.
Symptons vary from, fear of specific people associated with the abuser...(For instance If a child is being abused by their father they may develop a fear of older men), they may become mute, refusing to speak, spend all their time locked in their room and generally extricate themselves from society.
At the other extreme they may become rebellious, outspoken, defying rules so they feel in control of the situation. They may take to drugs, alcohol, abusive behaviour, stemming from their anger at their abuser, their feelings of helplessness and their desire to cover up depression.
In most cases however there may only be a slight change in behaviour, although they may be skittish, paranoid and have low self esteem although these can be passed off as typical teenage angst. This is why it is hard for People to recognise the signs, because of their variation and the fact that some may resemble typical patterns of the child or teenager in question.
Another factor is the type of abuse. A child's behaviour often depends on the abuse their suffering, fear of touching and specifinc people often is from Sexual abuse, Anger and rebelliousness is often from physical abuse, whilst low self-esteem and loss of confidence can be from mental abuse.
One typical example of charity collectiveness is clothes. On adverts the clothes are usually torn and dirty however abuse can be found in homes of designer waering children.
The best bet in trying to detect a child who is sufering from abuse is to watch their behaviour. Behaviour differing form the norm. Usually in an opposite vein i.e: Exuberant to shy. Meek; to angry.
Wtahc interactions with parents and classmates and gently integrate yourself in the child's life allowing them to feel you are trusted adult.
The one problem with this approach however is the fact that the abuse could escalate during the time you are merely observing.
All in all the symptons vary so much that it is often impossible to tell, although it is easier in children from 4to 12 due to emotions being easier to read.Children under 3 are usually unable to verify claims and it is hard to properly identify. The same applies to teenagers because it can be written off as hormones as well as the teenagers ability to shut off completely.
If child abuse is not detected it can make it's way into adult life in paranoia and various other mental conditions although as I said it does depend on the individual.