By
R. A. OLAOSEBIKAN
Ph.D candidate in Educational Counselling Psychology
+2348130851885
I.O. Akindele
Master in Pastoral Care and Counselling
+2347062559467
The Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary, Ogbomoso, Nigeria.
ABSTRACT
Sexual abuse is a growing concern in society, with devastating effects on victims’ psychological, physical, and social well-being. Teenage girls are particularly vulnerable, and the consequences often extend into adulthood, affecting marital relationships and family stability. Thus, this paper explores the factors contributing to teenage sexual abuse, its implications on the victims and roles of a Counselor and pastoral caregiver in healing and restoration of the sexually abused person. Also, this article highlights key causes, such as broken homes, peer pressure, and poverty while also discussed the long-term emotional and behavioural consequences for the victim. By integrating biblical and psychological perspectives, importance of spiritual guidance, healing, and reconciliation in restoring affected individuals are underscored. Hence, necessity for proactive counselor, pastoral care, parental involvement, government intervention and societal awareness to combat teenage sexual abuse and its negative impact on their future are emphasized.
Keywords: Sexual abuse, Counselor, Pastoral Caregiver, Counseling, Teenager
Introduction
Sexual abuse in teenage stage of life is a silent crisis with unpleasant consequences, often leaving victims trapped in cycles of trauma that extend into adulthood. One of the overlooked repercussions is its impact on marital relationship, as unresolved pain, trust issues, and emotional scars can disrupt intimate relationships. Victims may struggle with commitment, develop unhealthy coping mechanisms, and may engage in infidelity as a subconscious response to their past wounds. In the midst of this crisis, pastoral care emerges as a beacon of hope, offering victims a path to healing through compassionate counselling, spiritual guidance, emotional and social support.
Thus, by breaking the silence surrounding teenage sexual abuse, professional Counselors and pastoral caregivers can help victims reclaim their sense of self-worth, rebuild trust, and cultivate healthier relationships. Moreover, the increasing number of young individuals who become parents unexpectedly due to sexual abuse is alarming. This occurs without adequate preparation for marriage and the responsibilities of a fatherhood and motherhood. Many of these young parents who can be referred to as “children parenting children” struggle with developmental and cognitive deficiencies that hinder their ability to provide responsible and effective parenting, ultimately impacting the well-being and development of their children. Hence, this article discusses concept of sexual abuse, some factors contributing to sexual abuse and its implications on teenagers. Also, the premises of this writing include roles of a Counselor and a pastoral caregivers to sexually abused teenager.
Concept of Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse is a present-day horror that has eaten deep into society and the whole nation. This has become a concern for every parent and guardian. Paul (2004, 143) opines that sexual abuse is mainly associated with shock, fear, disbelief, and long-term symptoms, including anxiety, fear, or post-traumatic stress disorder. Sexual abuse is usually committed by adults or older or other children known to the abuse victim. The abuser usually has power over the victim or is in a position of authority. Often, the abuser is someone the child trusts, loves and respect (Paul 2004, 143).
When the act of sexual abuse occurs within a family, it is called incest. Generally, this writing identified two types of abusers: pedophiles who are sexually excited by children and teenagers and tend to act out their desires with them; and incestuous offenders, who often commit the abuse under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Sexual abusers commit sexual activity with perpetrators using force, making threats, or taking advantage of victims who do not give their consent.
Also, sexual abuse is accompanied by a traumatic experience that results in physical, social, and psychological distress to its victim. Teenage girls have been reported to be more at risk of being sexually abused. In the opinion of Udigwe et al. (2021, 50-51) opine that sexual abuse in a child is the exposure to any form of sexual activity beyond the child’s mental comprehension, physical development, and norms of the land.
This activity encompasses physical and non-physical exposure with devastating short and long-term effects that affect the victim’s physical and cognitive development Udigwe et al. 2021: 52-53). Globally, sexual abuse in teenagers remains a public health concern as it gravely violates the rights of vulnerable children to sound health and development. Considering the opinions of Paul and Udigwe et al., sexual abuse on a teenager is categorized as hurt, which can be a physical and psychological experience.
Sexual abuse is concerned with fondling teenagers’ genitals, intercourse, incest, rape, sodomy, and commercial exploitation through prostitution or the production of pornographic materials (Kaywell 2004, 145). Because of the secrecy or conspiracy of silence that so often characterizes these cases, sexual abuse is the most underreported form of child maltreatment. Therefore, sexual abuse is going against the will of an innocent teenager to satisfy one’s sexual desire. Sexual abuse is a crime against the dignity and sexual rights of an individual, which is punishable by law. It’s a criminal offence and, if found guilty, carries a life sentence.
Additionally, research has shown that experiences of sexual abuse can contribute to risky sexual behaviours later in life, including multiple sexual partners, which may lead to challenges such as infidelity within a marriage. The psychological and emotional trauma associated with sexual abuse can have long-term consequences, especially when healing and recovery do not occur. Unresolved trauma can affect individuals’ relationships, self-esteem, and overall mental health, creating a cycle of distress that extends into their adult lives. Hence, this article discusses the factors contributing to sexual abuse, the implications of sexual abuse on teenagers and their marital relationship and also roles of a Counselor and a pastoral caregivers in restoring sexually abused teenager.
Contributing Factors to Sexual Abuse among Teenager
There are several contributing factors regarding sexual abuse among teenagers as discussed below;
Broken Home
The family is the child’s first place of contact when they enter the world. The child receives care, nurture, and parenting from the parent due to the child’s significance to them. The family plays a significant role in forming, shaping, and molding a child. Invariably, the home is the foundation of any child. However, once the family foundation is missing, children become a nuisance to society. In this context, a broken home is a physical separation and divorce of husband and wife. In the view of Yahaya (2012, 25), when broken homes occur, it will affect children’s mental reasoning, and abuse and addiction can take place, which may lead to emotional scars that will be carried for life.
The issue of sexual abuse among teenagers also concerned with the fact that a child that no one cares for will end up stealing, going on drugs, being abused, and being involved in other delinquent acts to survive. In a similar opinion, Ahlstrom (2006, 7) views parental divorce on adolescents as something that can be distressing, simply because adolescents are forming personal identities and developing relationships, which makes developmental tasks of transition from adolescence to young adulthood difficult and more complex because there is no one to guide them through the difficult experience. In essence, once a home is not in order, the children will be left wandering, and this can lead them to end up in the wrong hands and be molested.
Peer Pressure Influence
Adolescent influences begin at an early age and increase through the teenage years. A peer could be a person or people that one looks up to in behaviour or someone that an individual think is equal to their age or ability or expected social partner. It is viewed as the influence on an individual who gets encouraged to follow others by changing their attitudes, values, or behaviour to conform with those of the influencing group or individual, either positively or negatively. For instance, friends persuade their friends to go into sexual activity because they have a closer bond in interaction and discussion about sex than their parents.
This discussion leads to inaccurate teachings (Adegboyega et al. 2019, 51). In his own view, Mnyipika (2014, 16) opines that adolescents are more likely to listen and openly discuss sensitive issues, such as sexual matters, with their peers than with adults. Mnyipika expresses further that people change with information and when others around them change to pressure received. There is a secret that teenagers do share with their parents; they have seen friends as their confidence, which most times mislead them if such friends are not born again.
Poverty
Low-income families may not have access to adequate resources, such as paying for rent, food, utilities, clothing, education, accommodation, health care, etc. When the family income cannot meet the children’s demands, there is a high risk of the children tending towards criminal activity, prostitution, et cetera. On this note, Almond (2006, 60-61) opines that a family becomes sour when income cannot care for the family’s needs. Most times, this may lead to the maltreatment of teenagers. He further said that most abuse of children resulted from the effect of poverty.
Moreover, in the opinion of Onoyase (2015, 175) likely cause of sexual abuse is identified as difficult economic situation which has much to do with poverty. Consequently, children of varying ages are sent by parents or guardians to hawk wares and food items along the street to make ends meet. While awakening those goods, many may have been assaulted physically and become interested in sexual activities. This also contributes to child prostitution, some are seen hawking on the street in towns, cities, and villages to boost family income.
Resulting from a poorly existing family, children who hustle by themselves to earn a living may end up being lured into secret places or rooms and raped by neighbors and some strong people. Therefore, it is evident that when a family is poor and does not have access to basic life needs, it can lead teenagers to experience sexual abuse, school drop-out, become homeless and lack of knowledge due to lack of education. This may cause them become a nuisance to society.
Effect of Sexual Abuse on Teenagers
The victims of sexual abuse encounter several effect of the unpleasant occurrence. According to Gupta (2016), effects of sexual abuse can be viewed as physical, mental, conduct, and cultural outcomes that impact their lives and future homes. Some of these effects are discussed as follows;
Physical Effect: The physical effect of sexual abuse on victim as stated by Garland (2018, 5-6) could be injury on the body or head, broken bones, internal or external bleeding, chronic pelvic pain, vaginal and urinary tract infection, unwanted pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and lots more.
Social Effect: It is evident that victim of sexual abuse such as rape finds it difficult to relate with people due to the experience they encounter. Many of them becomes hostile to people. They easily go angry, involve in fight, and lose trust in everybody. They may totally lose interest in human relationship even with their siblings, pastor, parents and also get worsening with their spouses.
Psychological Effect: The victim of sexual abuse are usually experience psychologically problems. This includes depression, self- destructive behaviour, poor self-esteem, feelings of stigma that lead to isolation, some lead to suicide.
Stigmatization: Many victims kept the unpleasant experience within them in order to avoid being stigmatized. They remain silence and unable to seek for help (Ishola 2016, 13). The unfortunate part is that those that manage to speak out are not believed, those that were believed were been oppressed by “the powerful and rich people” who silence them. Thus, sexual abuse victims mostly live with stigmatization and depression.
Health Effect: Some of the victims are health-wise challenged. Some are infected with HIV/AIDS and other sexual transmitted diseases (Garland 2018, 18-19). Also, some sexually assaulted teenagers may as well sustaining mental and emotional damage.
Implications of Sexual Abuse on Teenagers
Sexual abuse of a teenager is a traumatic experience. Its effects are numerous and resulting in adult intimate relationships. For instance, couples who experienced sexual abuse before entering into marriage are often have problems in maintaining their relationships and frequently face problems in their sexual life. This occurs because of experiences that they usually attribute to past trauma. Thus, as a way of dealing with such marital problems it’s essential for couples or intending couples to identify and understand the consequences of sexual abuse with elements of dual awareness. This is essential for peaceful partnership and healing of both partners.
Cherlin et al. (2004, 770) also argues that the abuse of teenagers sexually can affect sexual behaviour and intimate relationships in marriage; this is because of the seriousness of the consequences associated with factors such as the number of incidents, the severity and duration of the incidents, and the age of the teenagers during the incidents. These traumatic sexual experiences can produce inappropriate sexual behaviour and feelings of betrayal, lack of trust, and powerlessness. In this situation, it urgently needed to attend to the challenges early enough. Thus, if not, it can produce low self-image, depression, and no clear sense of boundaries between the sexually abused victims and others.