Acknowledging the Intersections
Adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse may experience other forms of trauma or violence as children or as adults. Many survivors experience other forms of oppression or violence based on their identities throughout their lives. And many survivors carry historical trauma from their backgrounds due to their identity group’s experiences or their family history.
We acknowledge that all forms of trauma, violence, and abuse cause harm and may impact survivors throughout their lives and in their healing journey.
Content Awareness:
Please be aware that descriptions of traumatic, violent, and oppressive behaviors are included, and may be triggering or difficult to think about. Please decide to view this material with care for your tolerance of this type of material.
What Types of Intersections Exist?
The sexual violation of a child (someone under 18), either emotionally or physically by other children or adults, regardless of their relationship.
Non-consensual sexual behavior with a teen (age of consent in CO varies by activity) by a peer (not more than 4 years older) is considered sexual assault or unlawful sexual contact rather than child sexual abuse. Please make sure to verify age of consent in your state.
Childhood Sexual Abuse includes but is not limited to the following behaviors:
- Sexual inuendo or lewd comments
- Penetration of child, another person or abuser
- Exposure to sexually explicit material
- Sex trafficking or sexual servitude
- Touching or stimulating a child, another person, or abuser
- Indecent exposure
- Using a child in sexual abuse images or videos
- Oral sexual stimulation
- Using objects to stimulate or penetrate a child
- Any sexual acts on child, abuser, others or animals
- Looking at children for sexual stimulation
Any childhood trauma can cause impacts throughout one’s lifespan. The Adverse Childhood Experiences Study by Kaiser Permanente and the US Centers for Disease Control explains this concept.
Examples of childhood trauma include:
- Verbal or emotional abuse or neglect
- Neglect
- Physical abuse
- Living with or witnessing domestic and intimate partner violence
- Death of a family member
- Out of home placement
- Community violence
- Parental substance abuse
- Parental mental illness, suicide, or attempted suicide
- Family member absence due to separation or prison
- Unpredictable caregiving or living situation
- Homelessness
- Food insecurity
- Serious physical or mental illness or physical injury
- Exposure to war
Cultural Historical Trauma is typically imposed on groups of people based on their identity including race, culture, gender, national origin, sexual orientation or religion. It can be recent or long past. This form of trauma has been found to impact members of populations who experience it over multiple generations.
Examples of historical identity based cultural trauma include:
- Genocide
- Slavery
- Forced relocation (including seizure of land or personal property)
- War (especially in the place where one lives)
- Erasure of culture (not allowed to utilize native language, spiritual practices, foods, holidays, etc.)
- Denial of rights, access to services, or care
- Identity based discrimination or violence (such as for the LGBTQIA+ community)
Generational family trauma happens within or to identified family units. It can impact how the family behaves over generations. Minimizing current trauma and developing survival-based family culture are common outcomes.
Trauma not healed is often passed down to younger generations. Family traumas often become family secrets.
When sexual abuse occurs over generations, families typically continue to keep it secret.
Examples of generational family trauma include:
- Sexual Abuse
- Verbal or Emotional Abuse
- Physical Abuse
- Neglect
- Intimate Partner Violence
- Substance Use Disorders
- Mental Illness or Suicide
- Poverty
- Immigration Status
Previous or current traumatic experiences in adulthood may cause long term negative impact, which may complicate recovery from childhood sexual abuse. Childhood sexual abuse may make adult survivors more vulnerable to interpersonal victimization as adults. Sometimes adult trauma triggers memories of childhood sexual abuse.
Examples of adult trauma include:
- Domestic Violence /Intimate Partner Violence
- Sexual Assault
- Sex or Labor Trafficking
- Gun Violence
- Death of a Partner or Child
- Suicide of a Loved One
- Serious Injury
- Serious Physical or Mental Illness
- Immigration Trauma
- Natural Disasters
- War Trauma
Discrimination is based on identity. It is imposed by the dominant powerful group(s) in society. This form of oppression can cause many forms of trauma including limiting access to rights, employment, housing or services, denial of treatment, or imposed unnecessary medical or psychological treatment (like conversion therapy or denial of reproductive rights), blocking full involvement in government or business, unequal treatment, violence, harassment, hate speech, and hate crimes.
Examples of discrimination include (both the identity used as a basis for discrimination and terms used to refer to the resulting type of discrimination are included here):
- Race (Racism)
- Gender (Sexism)
- Sexual Orientation (Homophobia)
- Gender Identity and/or Expression (Transphobia)
- Disability (Ableism)
- Age (Ageism)
- Religion (Anti-Semitism, Anti-Muslim, Anti-Atheism)
- Culture
- National Origin (Xenophobia)
- Ethnicity
- Body Size (Sizeism)
Research is clear that human beings need to meet their basic needs for survival before they can attend to other needs. Basic needs must be met for survivors and their families before they can address childhood sexual abuse trauma.
Examples of basic necessities include:
- Physical and Emotional Safety
- Safe Housing
- Adequate Food
- Access to Medical Care
- Access to Medications
- Clean Water
- Access to Education
- Safe Transportation
- Heat and Cooling