TY - JOUR PY - 2017// TI - Child sexual abuse and adolescent and adult adjustment: a review of British and world evidence, with implications for social work, and mental health and school counselling JO - Advances in applied sociology A1 - Sawyerr, Alice A1 - Bagley, Christopher SP - 1 EP - 15 VL - 7 IS - 1 N2 - We offer a narrative review of the findings of available British research on the sexual abuse of children, and its behavioural and mental health sequels in adolescent and adult adjustment, and link this to the growing world literature on child abuse, which frequently occurs within family settings. The evidence shows that around 9% of women, and about 3% of men have experienced prolonged, bodily intrusive abuse by the age of 16 or 18. This has many adverse sequels including impaired self-esteem, clinical levels of depression and anxiety, self-harm and substance abuse, somatic disorders, and many forms of maladaptation. Poly-victimisation combining physical, sexual and emotional abuse has particularly negative impacts. The long-term burden in human suffering and public health costs is high. In school, abuse victims are often bullied and isolated in school, which exacerbates (or even triggers) the negative effects of abuse. Teachers and school counsellors and social workers have an important role to play in identifying abuse victims, and offering help in ways which prevents the development of serious mental health problems. Keywords Sexual Abuse, Physical Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Child Victims, Bullying, School Counselling, Adult Mental Health, United Kingdom
Language: en
LA - en SN - 2165-4328 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/aasoci.2017.71001 ID - ref1 ER -