Debate Guide: Profound and lifelong scarring

"Child sexual abuse is unique, in that it almost invariably leads to lifelong mental scarring. This harm is intrinsic. They/We are victims for life".

This generalization may not be true:

• Research: Prevalence of Harm and Negative Outcomes
• Research: Family Environment
• Research: Secondary Harm

In some cases, notably the unwanted and/or coerced/cajoled activities, lifelong mental scarring is ignited by a "sexual" attack. There is also the possibility of a younger participant feeling coerced into something they dislike, because of the adult's abusive authority. This is not in any way specific to sexuality and has more to do with sexual attitudes, mores and unhealthy authority relationships. Subsequent memories can also be exacerbated by the long-lasting memory of an experience that an individual is repeatedly told to view as dirty, shameful and profound. Understandably, this can easily lead to mental disturbances and depression.

None of this implies that any form of willing physical contact/pleasure has a high capacity for harm, let alone life-long mental scarring. In fact, what we are seeing is the social construct of abuse fulfilling its own prophecy in the minds of its victims, sometimes to the effect of exacerbating fundamentally harmful abuse. This is obviously something that any good-meaning victim advocate should be minded to investigate. It is clear to see that changes in social perceptions and authority relationships will increase the viability (and possibility) of any loosening of the law.

One way of overcoming these memories may be to challenge the sex - negative foundations upon which the negative judgement and feelings of shame are based. No one needs to associate their pain with sex, when perceived "sexual acts" were only the unfortunate vector of society's guilt, in its displacement unto them. As any right-minded sex therapist would tell you, that would be doing oneself a disservice.