An older boy had allegedly abused Ryan sexually on several occasions. Such instances are dramatic and bring about a physical and psychological distress that may affect Ryan`s life in the short run and in the long run. With regards to the case at hand, Ryan is likely to suffer psychologically as a result of trauma and depression.
These will have overall effect of reducing his self-esteem (Elam and Kleist, 1999). In normal circumstances, Ryan is expected to suffer from trauma because of the experience that he had. This may affect his ability to live as a normal teenager and adult later on in life.
The effects and intensity of the negative experience that he had during the encounters when he was molested are likely to instil fear, anger and rage in him. He may develop a phobia to other childern, a move that will affect his social life as a teenager and as an adult. As a result, there is a high likelihood that Ryan will not be satisfied with his adult life.
At the same time, Ryan may suffer from depression and low self-esteem. The events that happened to him will affect him psychologically. This may lead to the development of helplessness attitude in Ryan (Jack, Dutton and Webb, 1995). He may also feel neglected by his family, friends and the entire society.
In addition, as a child, accepting and living with the condition might prove to be difficult. Dealing with emotional and psychological distress may lead to the emergence of low self-esteem in Ryan. This may can occur immediately, when he is a teenager or as an adult. As a result, Ryan might have a rough childhood as a result of the event which is likely to haunt him for the rest of his life.
Hindrance to Recovery
Victims of sexual abuse are expected to recover from the emotional and psychological sufferings that they go through. However, there are some instances where recovery may prove to be futile. In Ryan`s case for example, emotional distress and trauma may lead to the development of powerlessness in him (Wilcox, Richards and O`Keefe, 2004).
Once this happens, Ryan will find it difficult to accept and live with the fact that he was sexually abused. Due to this fact, his self-resilience process will be distorted. It will therefore be difficult for him to contain the situation, accept it and keep it in the past.
To try to redeem himself from the predicament, Ryan may try to dominate other children by sexually abusing them in a relatively similar manner as he was abused. Individuals do this to relieve themselves from the negative experiences that they have faced in life. However, if this happens, it will not make the situation any better but instead, it will be a hindrance to the recovery process.
Resilience Factor that may help Ryan Cope with the Situation
Not all is lost after an individual is sexually abused. Ryan can cope with the situation and fully recover from it if he gets proper support from his family after the disclosure of the situation (Chaffin and Bonner, 1998).
Family support is essential as it assists an individual to cope with the situation through moderating the overall effects of the abuse. At the same time, family support will aid in reducing the adjustment problems to the situation.
In addition, the victim will receive love, acceptance and companionship from his family members. This will enhance his chances of recovering from the situation. Through family support, Ryan will therefore find it easier to accept and cope with the situation.
References
Chaffin, M. and Bonner, B.L. (1998). Don’t shoot: we’re your children. Child Maltreatment, 3, p. 314–416.
Elam, G. and Kleist, D. (1999). Research on the Long-Term Effects of Child Abuse. Family Journal, 7, p. 154-160.
Jack, L. A., Dutton, D. G., and Webb, A. N. (1995). Affects of early abuse on adult affective reactions to exposure to dyadic conflict. Canadian Journal of Behaviourial Science, 17, p. 484-500.
Wilcox, D., Richards, F., and O`Keefe, Z. (2004). Resilience and Risk Factors
Associated with Experiencing Childhood Sexual Abuse. Child Abuse Review, 13, p. 338-352.