In the event that you suspect that your teenager or child was abused sexually, be sure to seek help immediately. A first step to take is to get your teen or child in to have an examination by a doctor. You will also most likely need to find legal help. We offer help for your child’s emotional healing and spiritual support as well.Teen and child abuse can be devastating and can have detrimental effects. Their well-being is at stake so don’t delay seeking help right away.
Sexual abuse entails:
- Forced contact of a sexual nature – non-consensual sex.
- Indirect forms of psychological sexual abuse like indecent exposure or sexual harassment.
- The exposure of teens or children to pornography or sexual acts.
- The use of statements that are derogatory and of a sexual nature.
- Invading personal space for the sake of sexual gratification.
- Violently harming sexual body parts.
It is very common for sexually abused youngsters to be fearful and confused about reaching out for assistance. Often times, they do not even realize they have been victims of sexual abuse. Knowing signs that may be linked to sexual abuse is imperative so you can uncover the abuse as soon as possible and seek help even if your child is not able to vocalize the abuse on their own.
Sexual abuse signs in children can include:
- Sleep disturbances or nightmares
- Eating habit changes that come on suddenly
- Behavioral or mood changes like fear, withdrawal, or sadness
- Hinting at talks which have to do with subjects of a sexual nature.
- Being afraid of certain places or people.
- Using toys or drawings to play out scenarios that are sexual.
- Exhibiting sexual knowledge or behavior that is adult-like.
- Frequent gifting to the child from a grown up without any specific reason.
Teenagers are likely to be reluctant to talk about sex abuse or to talk about the subject, especially if the situation has been going on since they were young. Knowing some red-flag warning signs can be vital for your teen’s safety and recovery.
Sexual abuse signs seen in teenagers include:
- Anxiety or depression.
- Speaking of suicide or doing self-harm.
- Sexual promiscuity.
- Suddenly changing habits in eating patterns.
- The tendency to run away.
- Consuming alcohol or drug abuse.
- Fear of being intimate.
- Not thriving socially or academically.
The symptoms listed above are not necessary always indications of sexual abuse but if you see the signs in your child, it is certainly worth checking into. If a problem does exist, be sure you seek help for your child. At our counseling center, we have skilled counselors who are experts in child sex abuse who can help make all the difference in the world when it comes to your child’s healing.
Counseling For Adults Who Have Been Sexually Abused
When you reach out to us, our ultimate goal is to help you find healing, wholeness, and peace. To enable this to take place, your personal counselor will assist you in learning to express and vocalize your emotions, work toward moving through the pain, understand your abuse, and then to work on the process of overcoming destructive beliefs, behaviors, and thoughts that you may have employed to endure the pain you suffered. No matter if your abuse was as a grown up, in a relationship or if it took place in childhood, Christ-focused counseling is available to equip you with the tools you need to become whole and well.
Christ-centered sex abuse counseling can assist you in:
- Understanding the effects that the incidents left on you and normalizing the responses you have concerning them.
- Understanding more fully your own emotions or behaviors that are relative to the situation.
- Processing your recall so memories do not control your emotions and behaviors any longer.
- Realizing you aren’t at fault for what happened.
- Working through the issues of PTSD.
- Working through dissociative and dissociation disorders.
- Regaining a healthy sense of normal and regaining peace within your life.
- Overcoming codependency issues and other destructive patterns in relationships.
Teen and Child Counseling for Sexual Abuse in Culver City
If your teen or teen has been victimized by sexual abuse, it places them in a high-risk category for a multitude of mental health problems both now and in the future. The negative experience can affect how they react to the world around them and how they cope with things, and can often lead to such things as substance abuse, eating disorders, and depression.
Working through the pain they are facing now will assist them in living a healthy, functional life later. At Culver City Christian Counseling, the compassionate and highly-skilled teen and child Christian counselors can partner up with you and also with Christ for hope and helping concerning your child’s healing.
Christ-centered sex abuse counseling can assist your teen or child with:
- Talk about their sexual abuse experiences.
- Process emotions they have and figure out their personal responses to it.
- Understand differences between healthy and unhealthy behaviors
- Find self-esteem and security and to learn coping tools for dealing with the abuse in a healthy way.
It is possible to recover from sexual trauma and abuse. Contact us to begin your healing journey.
To find out more about Christian counseling for trauma recovery and sexual abuse or to set up an appointment, reach out to us at 949-386-7179 or visit our website to contact us.
