Learn about the effects of Child Abuse
Some of the Tragic Consequences of Child Abuse
Child abuse is not just a single event in an isolated child’s life. The consequences of the abuse create larger problems for society as the child ages. Knowing the possible outcomes of abuse that is kept secret, abuse that has no end, abuse that goes untreated causes far reaching effects in every community.
Here are a few startling statistics to consider.
•Approximately 31% of women in prison state that they had been abused as children. 1
•Studies have found that one-third of juvenile delinquents, 40 percent of sexual offenders, and 76 percent of serial rapists report they were sexually abused as youngsters. 2
•The suicide rate among sexually abused boys was up to 14 times higher than non-abused boys. 2
•Approximately 95% of teenage prostitutes have been sexually abused. 3
•Long term effects of child abuse include fear, anxiety, depression, anger, hostility, inappropriate sexual behavior, poor self esteem, tendency toward substance abuse and difficulty with close relationships. 4
•Adolescents with a history of sexual abuse are significantly more likely than their counterparts to engage in sexual behavior that puts them at risk for HIV infection. 5
•Young girls who are forced to have sex are three times more likely to develop psychiatric disorders or abuse alcohol and drugs in adulthood, than girls who are not sexually abused. 6
•Each day in the United States, more than 3 children die as a result of child abuse in the home. 7