What are the psychological effects of a sexually abused female?

Question

Does anyone know of any good sites that I can read about this? I do know of someone who was sexually abused and she is affraid of dating.

Answer 1

The psychological effects vary from person to person. While you can meet some who really don't care about the sexual abuse they endured, you can meet others who will spend years and years sombering in depression, tears, shame and suicidal thoughts before getting over it.
It's really nice to know that you care about your friend, and that you want to help her. I hope she appreciates it.
Just don't forget to give her some time... Each person needs to recover at their own pace.
Ask her first if she's really ready, and if she answers yes, make sure she doesn't go out with just "anyone". Because i can assure you that the slightest wrong move from the man can send her away running, and perhaps never coming back.
For more information, here's a site with the long-term effects of sexual abuse:
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_g2699/is_0006/ai_2699000618
And here's a site explaining sexual healing from sexual abuse:
http://www.selfhelpmagazine.com/articles/sex/healing.html
Good luck to you, and to your friend.

Answer 2

Having worked in social services for a number of years I occaisionally encountered adult women who claimed they were the victims of sexual abuse when they were very young, many times involving incest. Most if not all of them experienced anxiety, depression, failed relationships and many other problems later in life. The most common was the inability to enjoy sex with their spouses or significant others. The problems ussually went even deeper to include trust, fear and overprotectiveness of their children. I saw similar situations with returning war veterans.

It's a shame adults cannot control their urges and impulses, expecially when it involves children. Good organizations or sites might include the American Medical Association and the American Psychiatric Association.

The last case I personally was involved with was so horrible I cannot even describe it in a forum such as this, and it involved a very young girl and her own father as well as her mother's boyfriend. I am a Viet Nam vet and that case upset me more than anything I saw in war.

Good luck on your research.

Answer 3

There are all different types of sexual abuse, there are all different effects, and there are all different circumstances.

You could have two people be very much alike, in very much the same situation, and have two completely different effects.

It's nice that you want to help your friend. But you can mostly just help by being there for her. In the end, she has to deal with this herself.

Answer 4

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/childsexualabuse.html

http://www.prevent-abuse-now.com/stats.htm

For anything medical/health related... always go to medline first for information. Both of those websites are also great for information on childhood sexual abuse. I'm a victim advocate and I work with victims of violent crimes. My mom was sexually abused as a child, and she experienced flashbacks when I was a kid.

You might also recommend counseling to your friend. There's a lot of free counseling available, look it up in your area.

Answer 5

oooh don't know of any site off hand but I do know their are national numbers and yes that is one side affect but let her know this is her life, don't let one instance own who she IS!! Tell her her story could help other women, I have been victim of rape and had to reclaim my life, never will i let a man define my existance. i isolated myself and yearned for an attention that I thought would settle me. I overtime had to realize the truth and truth was I did nothing wrong. I am worth more