Childhood Sexual Abuse Can Affect Minor's Mental Health Severely
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday upheld the punishment of compulsory retirement awarded to a physics teacher who molested a class 9 student in a 16-year-old case. The court said that in cases of sexual assault, the welfare of school going children is of paramount importance as such incidents have long term effects on the victim.
The court said that the mental state of a minor is in a vulnerable and developing stage, which can be affected by something for a long time. Sexual assault has the potential to cause mental trauma which can affect the thought process of the child for a long time in the years to come.
Child sexual abuse (CSA) has a profound effect not only on a child's thought process but on their overall self-concept. Experts say, CSA has a negative effect on their identity because children do not understand that it is not their fault, they start to consider themselves responsible for it.
It increases their feelings of inferiority, low self-esteem, guilt and shame, which affects their social identity and may affect their performance in school. This also affects their relationships because after such incidents they find it difficult to get close to anyone or trust anyone, they fear being different or strange about themselves.
Childhood sexual abuse has been shown to be associated with severe depression, guilt, shame, self-blame, eating disorders, anxiety, sexual problems, and problems in relationships. Depression was found to be the most common long-term symptom among its survivors.
Sexual abuse also affects children's ability to identify and express their own feelings, and can have a negative impact on a person's core identity and ability to connect with others.
