There are so many cases that have been reported to have originated from domestic violence that is particularly afflicted to the youths, which expose them to many hardships. Many youths suffer a lot due to ill treatment that starts when they are still very young due to the fact that they are more vulnerable to violence at a tender age. Any abuse that is done to children, particularly sex abuse, leaves a scar in their lives.
This affects them for long time hence making most of the youth to lead a life full of problems while they do not have anything to do with what is going on in their lives. This paper will comprehensively discuss sex abuse as one of the most critical type of domestic violence that youths suffer and some of the negative effects of the vice.
Sexual abuse is one of the common types of domestic violence that majority of the youth live suffering the aftermath of its perpetration. Youths who have suffered sexual cruelty in most cases happen to have been abused when they were young since at the tender age they are very prone to any kind of maltreatment due to the fact that they are weak and innocent.
This kind of violence have been so unusual in the past years but it has come to be the most widespread case in society despite the fact it has not been put into limelight (Geffner, Jaffe, & Sudermann 150).
Most of the incidences that relate to this kind of violence are barely mentioned hence getting a better opportunity to continue breeding up. According to Carter, children who face sexual molestation tend to suffer several bad conditions that are propagated as they grow up to become youths and even at the later stages of life (1). The following paragraphs explain some of the hardships that the youths undergo due to sexual violence that is done to them in their childhood.
To begin with, youths who are harassed sexually are likely to suffer the lack of self esteem, especially in the case of female victims. This is whereby the girl who has undergone such kind of abuse may lack confidence in her feminine nature, and this may make her develop hatred towards men since she still reminisce what was done to her in the past. Such memories will remain to give her nostalgia which may result to her remaining unmarried (Deb & Mukherjee 200).
Stigma is another common problem that is likely to be experienced by youths who are abused sexually. This is a state where a victim of an abuse such as rape feel as if the public is aware of what was done to him or her hence feeling discriminated. People who suffer stigma will be so sensitive on any subject concerning sexual abuse that might be talked about in their presence.
They tend to feel as though people hate them and therefore rarely interact with their peers. Such condition may lead to severe stress which can result to depression and withdraw (Deb & Mukherjee 200).
Likewise, youths who are exposed to sexual abuse are susceptible to contracting various sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhea and HIV/AIDS which can cause short term or long term illness, or even lead to fatality. Many youth innocently contract such diseases and live suffering for the rest of their lives for actions that they did not consent to.
There so many cases that have been reported in the hospitals and in the society in general of HIV/AIDS patients who have fell into this predicament due to sexual abuse from relatives or even strangers, thus passing the virus to them.
Apart from contracting diseases, many female victims of sexual abuse are at high risk of becoming pregnant at a very early age. This does not capacitate them to handle the responsibilities that come with pregnancy and motherhood. Instances that lead to pregnancy of young girls are not planned for, hence making them to undergo hardships that are related to early pregnancy and child bearing.
There have been cases of young girls developing severe complications due to conceiving and giving birth at very tender age. Some of girls might live to experience these conditions for the rest of their lives. Some of the victims of sex abuse can be stricken by poverty due to many demands that come up due to the responsibilities that emanate from early motherhood since most of them fail to continue with their education hence they cannot secure well paying jobs (Deb & Mukherjee 200).
Sexual abuse can also lead to many youths engaging themselves in the abuse of drugs and alcoholism. They do this with an intention of trying to forget the violence they were subjected to, which at most times makes them to suffer from depression. Others will decide to abuse drugs as a way of giving them the courage to avenge for the harassment they faced or else to have the confidence to come into terms with the reality of what happened to them. They can also intentionally abuse drugs or alcohol with an aim of withstanding the effects that are caused by stigma.
In essence, the above research work on sex abuse can in a nut shell be concluded by arguing that many youth are suffering from domestic violence in the form of sexual abuse which makes their lives a living hell. This happens due to the fact they are very naïve and incapable of protecting themselves from such incidences.
The reason why they cannot avoid this abuse from happening is because it is perpetrated when they are children hence they are weak and without the power to discern right from wrong. With the rampant rise of cases about sex abuse to children, it becomes very important for the authority to impose heavy penalties on any person reported to have done such an act of inhumanity to innocent children.
Works Cited
Carter, Janet. Domestic Violence, Child Abuse, and Youth Violence: Strategies for Prevention and Early Intervention. 11 Jan. 2011.Web.
Deb, Sibnath and Mukherjee Aparna. Impact of Sexual Abuse on Mental Health of Children, Chicago: Concept Publishing Company, 2009. Print.
Geffner, Robert, Peter Jaffe, and Marlies Sudermann. “Children Exposed to Domestic Violence: Current Issues in Research, Intervention, Prevention, and Policy Development.” Maltreatment & Trauma, 5 Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, New York:Routledge, 2000. Print.