Post-Traumatic Disorder from Child Sexual Trauma

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Post-Traumatic Disorder: Sexual Abuse TraumaPost-traumatic disorder refers to a health condition that mostly affects a child’s mental function that is usually triggered by traumatizing events that may have been witnessed or experienced. This assessment focuses on the child sexual abuse, its post-traumatic stress symptoms, and causes, intervention, and education programs
Child sexual abuse typically involves the occurrence of different types of sexual behavior between a child or adolescent and an older individual or between a child and another adolescent. The sexual behaviors that are sexually abusive in most cases they involve body contact such as touching, genital caressing, kissing, and sexual intercourse. In other circumstances, sexually abusive behaviors do not necessarily involve contacts like the genital exposure, verbal pressures for intimacy, and the exploitation of sex (Cook et al. 392).
Symptoms and Causes
The post-traumatic symptoms of stress disorder may begin after a month of traumatic stress, and in other cases, it may appear years after the occurrence of the ordeal. The symptoms have adverse effects on the ability of the child to relate well in social aspects, in relationships and interfere with their daily activities. The symptoms are such as having intrusive memories that may include having nightmares about the ordeal, extreme emotional distress, experiencing flashbacks, and having distressing recurrent memories. A child may also begin social isolation or avoidance of interactions with his/her peers.

This involves avoiding activities, people, or places that remind the child of the events and attempt to avoid thinking about it.
Another symptom is a negative change in their moods and physical and emotional responses (Van der Kolk 405). The child may exhibit negative thoughts about him/herself, feelings of hopelessness, experience memory problems, feelings of detached from family and friends, may become emotionally numb and have difficulties in experiencing positive feelings. This highly triggers a change in physical and emotional reactions such as being frightened, being on guard for threat, exhibiting self-destructive behavior, anger outburst, and having problems in concentrating. These symptoms may occur as a result of experiencing a complex, stressful situation that may include other aspects that may be affecting the child and adolescent. Secondly, the inherited characteristics of the child’s personality such as temperament play a role in the emotional and physical response. The symptoms may also arise in the child if the family has had a history of depression and anxiety.
Intervention
I would critically assess the trauma with the aim of understanding the impact of the child sexual abuse and the extent of emotional and physical damage caused. This will enable me to gauge the perceptions of the child regarding the damage from the past and recent abuse impact and his/her anticipation for the future. This will enable contemplating the appropriate treatment required by the child. With this knowledge, I can assist the child to differentiate between his/her health and the destructive coping skills. It’s important to maximize the child’s strengths and effectively change their ineffective coping behaviors (Pérez-Fuentes 20). This will involve enabling the child to safely release his/her feelings, overcome self-destructive behaviors, enable the child to build trust in him/herself, and enable the child to gain perspective about the ordeal and gain the necessary emotional distance to avoid the trauma from hurting him in the future. Also, I would offer support as the child comes to terms with his/her sexuality and differentiate healthy sexuality from sexual abuse.
Education or Support to Parents
Increasing the understanding of the parents or guardians of the child’s difficulties and change of behaviors is critical to ensuring that the child is given appropriate support. Secondly, it is essential to work with the parents to increase their parenting skills and assist them to cope with their significant challenges that may be interfering with providing care to the child.

Work Cited
Cook, Alexandra, et al. “Complex trauma in children and adolescents.” Psychiatric Annals 35.5 (2017): 390-398.
Pérez-Fuentes, Gabriela, et al. “Prevalence and correlates of child sexual abuse: a national study.” Comprehensive Psychiatry 54.1 (2013): 16-27.
Van der Kolk, Bessel A. “Developmental Trauma Disorder: Toward a rational diagnosis for children with complex trauma histories.” Psychiatric Annals 35.5 (2017): 401-408.