Adults who've suffered from sexual abuse as a child may be tormented many years after the abuse officially stopped. Taking steps in the right direction, the victims gain power to achieve freedom in ways they've never realized possible.
Coming to terms with childhood sexual abuse isn't easy. An adult who was victimized in youth must allow themselves to overcome the past by focusing on the prospect of a bright future. The past can't be changed. As you learn to accept what's happened as no fault of your own, take control from your abuser and make it yours. A step-by-step process can be used to gain freedom.
It's important to focus on what you need to heal. For some, it can be empowering to seek prosecution of the abuser in court. Unfortunately, the statute of limitations for criminal action passes before most victims gather their senses necessary for such an ordeal. In the cases where victims do get the chance to use the legal system for justice, it can be incredibly empowering. For the rest who've missed that particular opportunity, it's give the chance to become empowered otherwise.
A psychologist specializing in treating child victims of sexual abuse once surprised me by her professional opinion. As a reporter for the local newspaper, I covered various trials in which children testified against their attackers. Although, those cases ended in successful prosecution, the expert I interviewed said the outcomes can do more harm than good, depending on the individual circumstances.
It can be empowering, she said, but it can have a reverse effect too. It's a hard call to make, she said. Every time the child tells the story, the child re-lives it. If the accused is acquitted, which happens often, the child feels low. They feel like they weren't believed because their state of mind isn't able to comprehend like adults.
On the other hand, a child who prevails in court and in cases where justice is on their side can gain a great deal of confidence.
It should be a decision for the child's advocates to place the child's best interest first. It's not the only option. Reviewing my own experiences and witnessing various others, I've broken it down into steps that can be personalized for individuals who've shared a similar ordeal. If you've been through it, take this information and make it work for you.