The primary after-effects of childhood sexual abuse have been divided into seven distinct, but overlapping categories:

  1. Emotional reactions
  2. Symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  3. Self-perceptions
  4. Physical and biomedical effects
  5. Sexual effects
  6. Interpersonal effects
  7. Social functioning

Responses can vary greatly within the seven categories. Also, survivors may fluctuate between being highly symptomatic and relatively symptom-free. This variability is completely normal.

Sources:

  • Administration for Children and Families
  • National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information
  • National Institutes of Health-National Library of Medicine
  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect

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