Associations between CSA and a wide range of psychiatric outcomes, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, conversion disorder, borderline personality disorder, eating disorders, anxiety, and depression, have been described ( Hailes et al., 2019). These negative outcomes are exacerbated by the cumulative impact of several types of victimization, to which the child is commonly exposed in his or her family ( Putnam et al., 2013 Ford and Delker, 2018 Goodman et al., 2020).Ī large body of research has documented that the negative effects of CSA can persist until adulthood. The latter entails forcing a child to participate in adult sexual pleasure (such as sexual harassment and prostitution) or exposing a child to adult sexual activities, such as pornography, voyeurism, and exhibitionism ( Putnam, 2003 Slep et al., 2015).Ĭhildhood sexual abuse alters the normal developmental trajectories that are necessary for healthy socioemotional function ( Langevin et al., 2016 Clayton et al., 2018), increasing the likelihood of a child experiencing sociorelational difficulties, cognitive dysfunction, depression, anxiety, internalization and externalization of problems, sexualized behaviors, and post-traumatic symptoms ( Saywitz et al., 2000). The former includes intercourse, attempted intercourse, or oral-genital contact with the penis, fingers, or any object masturbation and fondling the genitals or other erogenous areas through the clothing or directly. The results of this minireview are discussed, considering their implications for prevention and clinical practice.Ĭhildhood sexual abuse (CSA) is a severe public health concern, affecting roughly 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 13 boys worldwide ( Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021).Īs with other forms of abuse, CSA is characterized by the complex manipulation and coercion of the perpetrator and the unbalanced and power-based relationship that is established by leveraging and exploiting vulnerability.Ĭhildhood sexual abuse includes sexually connotated physical contact or non-contact activities. The impact of CSA on brain connectivity and functions is out of the scope of this review, thus brain imaging studies are not included. Finally, recent evidence of the intergenerational transmission of the effects of CSA is reported. Also, we discuss the literature that examines dysfunctional DNA telomere erosion and oxidative stress markers as a sign of CSA. Based on these premises, this narrative minireview summarizes the research on the short-term and long-term sequelae of CSA, focusing on dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the effects on the immune system, and the changes to DNA through altered methylation. Although the effects of CSA are often examined with regard to the general impact of early-life traumatic experiences, the study of CSA per sè, as a trigger of specific pathogenic pathways, would be more appropriate to understand their long-term implications and develop tailored diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Recent studies have also provided evidence of the biological impact of CSA, implicating specific alterations in many systems, including the endocrine and immune systems, and in DNA and chromatin, in the pathogenesis of medical disorders. A large body of research has documented the long-term harms of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) on an individual’s emotional-adaptive function and mental health.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |