Everyone handles it a different way so it's hard to know for sure if someone has been sexually abused in the past. The 16 Signs of Childhood Sexual Abuse. Twelve percent of girls in grades 9–12 reported they had been sexually abused; 7% of girls in grades 5–8 reported sexual abuse. I have been dating a girl for a little over 4 months and I have noticed a major change in behaviour. Emotional abuse is insidious and can be hard to spot, especially when the abuser is trying to pass off their actions as romantic. Approximately one in five women has experienced childhood sexual abuse 4. It is far more common for a young girl to be abused by an adolescent or adult male, but it is inaccurate to presume that men do not abuse boys or women do not abuse girls and boys. Posted by Louise Behiel in Louise Behiel, Sexual Abuse | 1,538 comments. When someone is sexually abused, they don’t always interpret what’s happened to be abuse. 1 in 3 young women is sexually abused before age 18 (RAINN 2011) Most sexual abuse against children is perpetrated by a family member (e.g., father, stepfather, aunt, uncle, sibling, cousin) or family intimate (e.g., live-in lover or friend of the parent) If your girlfriend has a problem letting people get close to her or has a problem trusting people, this could also be a sign of being sexually assaulted in the past. Dealing With Past Sexual Abuse. If you're in a new relationship, keep an eye out for signs of people pleasing and perfectionism, as they may be a sign you haven't quite recovered from past emotional abuse. When your partner discloses her sexual abuse to one family member, there could be a "snow-ball" effect with several family members disclosing their abuse as well. So have I been sexually abused? After-Effects of Child Sexual Abuse in Adults. From 2006 to 2008, among females aged 18–24 years who had sex for the first time before age 20 years, 7% experienced nonvoluntary first sex 5. Try to bring up a conversation so it's not abrupt and you wouldn't have to ask, they may just tell you. Sexual abuse can cause many issues, not just in your behaviours, but in your relationships, your sex life, the way you treat yourself, and even in your physical wellbeing. Bringing up the memories is the first step in fighting the battle. Over many years of working with survivors of childhood abuse, in all of its many permutations and combinations, I’ve come to believe that there is a constellation of symptoms or behaviors in adults which suggest they might have been abused as children. She told ne she didn't like sex and I reassured her I was okay with this. Knowing the signs. Your girlfriend might feel upset that sex is so difficult for her, or she might wish she could just be “normal”. Some sexual abuse survivors even worry that no one will ever want to be with them. This misunderstanding is more common when children are the victims of sexual abuse, especially when the child was groomed by their abuser.There are many other reasons why a sexual abuse victim wouldn’t immediately make the connection. Clearly, this type of trauma has a devastating effect on the psyche and can turn the most trusting individual … On the night we began a relationship I found out my girlfriend had been sexually abused as both a child and young adult. Sexual abuse can cause long-term symptoms of trauma, similar to or including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). If it is a close friend you could just ask and they may tell you. Although there is no single syndrome that is universally present in adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse, there is an extensive body of research that documents adverse short- and long-term effects of such abuse. Hello, thanks for your time.