Childhood should not hurt

Sir,

Many adults sexually abused in childhood and children who have been sexually abused will not disclose it because of the shame, guilt, fear etc, therefore suffering in silence. The long-term effects can be horrendous. Children lose their innocence, education, childhood, etc. Buried grief poisons, limiting one’s capacity for joy, for spontaneity in life.

Relationships are ruined, pleasures missed and opportunities lost, while one is busy coping the best one can.

There is little acknowledgement of the pain and suffering caused by child sexual abuse, and this problem needs to be addressed, raising the awareness of individual professionals and the wider population to issues around child sexual abuse. There is a great need for understanding and recognising the long-term needs of the very many sexually abused adult survivors. Child sexual abuse is not a taboo, but talking about it is, and I’ll say it again, we need to change that and educate the uneducated and bring it into the open a lot more. The sooner one opens up and has therapy after being sexually abused, the greater chance one has of having a full and better life in the future.

Survivor, England

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