Dysfunction in Families: Effects on Children
Sara Laplante
University of Connecticut
HDFS 2004W Sec.01
October 20, 2014
Dysfunction in Families: Effects on Children Dysfunction is manifested in many families in society and can be detrimental to children. However, the effects of dysfunction in families on children are often overlooked. Studies show that children are affected by dysfunction in families, and the three journal articles that will be summarized in this essay explore this phenomenon. The purpose of exploring this is to gain a better understanding of how to help children who are affected by dysfunction in their families to cope and have better outcomes. If children who are affected by dysfunction in families
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The dependent variables were the long-term effects of sexual abuse by women—including substance abuse, self-injury, suicide, depression, rage, relationships with women, self-concept and identity issues, discomfort with sex, fear of sexually abusing children, and sexual victimization of others. The study operationalized each of the variables using semistructured interviews lasting two to three hours long and self-reported experiences. The sample size included fourteen participants ages twenty-three to fifty-nine years old—seven of which were female and seven of which were male. To determine which areas of the participants’ lives were affected by their experience(s) of sexual abuse, researchers utilized interview probes. Participants were asked in the interviews to recall the sexual abuse they endured in childhood and to answer questions about their family background, the sexual abuse, and the long-term effects of the sexual abuse. Professionals who referred participants to the study were consulted to check the validity of victim’s responses; only two professionals did not respond. Researchers analyzed the audiotaped and transcribed interviews to identify themes, and then regrouped parts of each interview according to their index reference. Data was condensed into charts in order to compare and contrast and search for patterns among participants’ experiences. Main findings in Denov’s (2004) study were that most participants reported sexual abuse
According to Texas Woman 's University, family dysfunction is any circumstance that affects the normal functioning of a family. It continues to explain how dysfunctional families tend to hold on to a crisis and make its effect long-term (1). However, normal and healthy families tend to deal with the crisis as it happens, minimizing its effect on everyone and making it less damaging. Dysfunctional families can be affected by trauma or poor parenting skills (World of Psychology). One of the types of a dysfunctional family includes, that which is headed by an authoritarian figure (Disinherited). According to Kendra Cherry, an authoritarian parent usually has high expectations and demands but low responses to a child’s needs. She claims that authoritarian parents tend to impose rules without exposing the reason behind them and do not provide children with choices or options to express what they seek or declare their
Studies have shown a clear correlation between childhood sexual assault (CSA) and negative sexual experiences later in life. Of relevance to the criminal justice system, these later forms of sexual victimization include sexual assault and sex work. The relationship between CSA and adverse sexual development is a correlation between two things, not a direct pathway from cause to effect. While survivors of sexual assault are at a higher risk of experiencing these later forms of victimization, this correlation represents a highly complex process involving a wide range of mediating factors and the intersections between them. Any experience of sexual assault is highly traumatic. Survivors of CSA, however, represent a unique population, because their trauma occurs near the start of the human developmental process and therefore alters all development thereafter.
According to Texas Woman's University, family dysfunction is any circumstance that affects the normal functioning of a family. It continues to explain how dysfunctional families tend to hold on to a crisis and make its effect long-term (1). However, normal
This paper reviews several articles that discuss the lasting effects that sexual abuse can have on a child into their adult years. The articles agree that victims of child sexual abuse (CSA) will most likely suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and/or experience revictimization. This paper will also address the common forms of coping that victims of child sexual abuse take part in. Some research will touch on proper healing techniques for victims of CSA to receive.
Victims of sexual assault suffer from a wide variety of mental and emotional issues throughout their lives as a result of the experience. Results can range from depression, anger, feelings of loneliness, and difficulty when trying to formulate relationships of trust (Hyde 45). Victims experience a wide variety of psychological issues as a result of sexual crimes, which they will have to carry with them throughout their entire lives. Also, “Psychological problems can start later in life with changes in behavior- vague fears, feeling unprotected and helpless, nightmares, bedwetting, sleeping problems, fear to loss parents approval/love, need to please others, poor self esteem, anger, depression, withdrawal from activities, daydreaming, difficulty concentrating, behavior problems” (Hyde 47).
This paper will examine the impact of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) on women’s sexual behavior in adulthood. Childhood sexual abuse has been associated with a plethora of physical and emotional symptoms in women. It has been noted that there is a significant relationship between this maltreatment and the development of abnormal sexual behavior. Some women who have been abused as children are suffering from lack of sexual desire, emotional distress, sexual dysfunction, or engage in risky sexual behavior as they become adults. This paper has two purposes: (1) to provide a broad overview of the research on long-term effects of childhood sexual abuse on mental and physical health and (2) encourage counselors and therapists alike to seek knowledge of this issue and in turn provide victims of CSA with effective methods to overcome and deal with any long-term issues of childhood sexual abuse.
with Research conducted on the characteristics of female sexual abusers uses three specific case examples of young girls, ages: ten, twelve, and sixteen. In two of three case examples, the girls had reported being sexually abused at a young age. The third girl, age sixteen, did not explicitly state she had been sexually abused, but has close ties with her father who is a known sex-offender,; therefore it is believed that she has been sexually abused during childhood. A review of adolescent offenders of sexual abuse, under the age of 21, shows: “Chi-square analyses showed significant associations between those who targeted children and being sexually abused or having a family member subject to sexual abuse” The study also reports that those that have experienced sexual assault at a young age, and have been reported to sexually assault other children typically have poor relationships with peers and family members in addition to experiencing two or more instances of
The purpose of this essay is to connect my sexual abuse and the feelings I felt and are currently
Family is of great importance to having a functional or dysfunctional development; it will help or impede the child to have a support system in place.
must have experienced childhood sexual abuse at least once in their lives, were eighteen years or
Any victim of sexual abuse faces the chance of having their development impacted. This is especially true amongst children. Studies have proven that children who have been sexually abused by a female offender often have different developmental experiences (T.A. Gannon, 2008, p. 356). Mental illness is yet another impact that victims face. Many sexual abuse victims transpire into states of depression, rage, and suicide; they even have strained relationships with certain individuals (Denov, 2014, p.
In the United States, sexual abuse is a very uncommonly discussed topic in society. Many people do not like to speak openly about it. There is not much of a difference between sexual abuse and rape. One of the common characteristics of sexual abuse and rape is that they decreases a person’s self-esteem. An individual who is sexually abused will feel as though they are not themselves anymore and feel repulsion within them.
Research conducted in the United States of America clearly identifies an interaction between victim age and abuse characteristics (USDHHS, 2003). There exists a negative correlation between the onset and prevalence of physical neglect and victim age, for instance, indicative of a young child's dependency upon the caregiver for supervision and nurture (Mash & Wolfe, 2005). The incidence of physical and emotional abuse is also most prominent during developmental periods of independence, specifically the early, pre-school and adolescent transitional stages of development (ibid). Sexual abuse has prevailed most consistently, however, from an onset of age 3 throughout childhood, highlighting the vulnerability of children across the age-spectrum (ibid). Nevertheless, victim gender is emphasised as an influential variable within the incidence and nature of sexual abuse; for females have accounted for up to 80% of reported victims and are more likely to be abused by male family members in contrast to male victims, where the perpetrator of abuse is more likely to be a non-family male offender (USDHHS, 2003; Berliner & Elliott, 2002).
When a family decides to have a child, everything changes. That child becomes a number one priority. In order for a child to lead a healthy, functional life, a family needs to be strong and functional. When a family becomes dysfunctional, the most effected is the children. The children forget their children and act out which makes them difficult to live with. If a dysfunctional family, let alone the children, knew that therapy and help was available to them, more families would become healthy. In this paper, I will prove that children in dysfunctional families can self-diagnose and be encouraged to seek help and treatment so that their future can be affected by their own mistakes and not the mistakes of their families.
Child sexual abuse has been reported up to 80,000 times a year, but the number of unreported instances is far greater, because the children are afraid to tell anyone what has happened (American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry). Childhood sexual abuse is a traumatic experience affecting the lives of not only the victim, but those close to the victim as well. Many think there is only one person truly traumatized, but in fact, everyone involved is affected. The victim has to deal with their experience the rest of their lives. They may be more at risk for other mental issues as well, including depression. The family involved has to deal with its pain, often causing hardship and discord within the family. This is especially true