This paper identifies the correlation between a child entering puberty and his or her history of sexual, physical, or psychological abuse. The paper examines whether children who are abused or maltreated have a more difficult time entering and going through puberty than those who were not abused. Puberty is the period of development where adolescents reach sexual maturity and are capable of reproduction. This can be a ‘scary’ or confusing time for adolescents as their body goes through a massive change. Further, a child who has been abused, especially sexually, has a different experience with these changes; sexually abused children and teens act and react in extremes, rather than moderation. Puberty is a time of sexual-awakening for a child; a child who has been sexually abused will neglect the idea of puberty based on his or her negative associations with sexual behavior. Children who are abused experience sexuality in a premature manner. While the child did not understand the significance at the time of the abuse, he or she holds negative energy toward sexual alterations or changes because of the emotionally painful experience. However, children may have associated the physical aspect of the abuse with both pain and pleasure; this mixture of emotions and physical feelings creates shame in young teens and adolescents (Mandell, Damon, & Castaldo, 1989). Often the physical aspect of the sexual abuse has encouraging feelings; the one being abused may even reach orgasm. However, this brings further shame to the individual as he or she understands that it was not supposed to feel good, confusing the adolescent even more. A child who associates positive physical feelings with sexual abuse can become a self-loathing individual. As the body enters puberty, these feelings of confusion that came from the sexual abuse are now compounded as the body goes through sexual changes. Furthermore, the child begins to understand what was taken from him or her during the sexual abuse (Peace & Pezzot-Pearce, 2007). While puberty is done in preparation of sexual activity, these children have already experienced sex, which leads to confusion, distrust, and anger. “When Gina reached puberty, she became fearful, disliking the changes her body was undergoing” (Wickham & West, 2002, p. 156). Additionally, the child’s hormones are out of control during this stage. During puberty, many adolescents will release much of the pain, despair, and self-loathing that has been built up since the sexual abuse began (Wickman & West, 2002). Puberty is a confusing and anxious period for any teen. However, through sex education courses in school or the support of parents, the majority of children who were not abused find the experience to be painless. Sexually-abused children can find puberty to be haunting as they are already ‘sexually experienced’ in a technical sense. They question why they had to be abused and feel the pain while others have yet to experience sexuality, or are experiencing it through puberty. Further, many sexually abused preteens are abused by a member of the same sex. For example, if a teen was forced to touch the breasts of a woman during the abuse, this can cause shame of her own breasts and cause the teen to loathe her own body, notably her ‘budding’ breasts (Faller, 1981). The same situation can apply to boys who’s body parts are changing to that of a man; as the body part resembles a man’s, and they were abused by a man, they begin to hate their own bodies (Faller, 1981). Early puberty. Doctors have speculated that if a child was having frequent sexual activity, the production of hormones would be triggered more rapidly than normal; this could cause puberty to begin early. However, a child who begins puberty much earlier than another child was not necessarily sexually-abused. If a child is going through puberty at an early age, one (parent, teacher) may expect that sexual abuse was evident. The truth is, children go through puberty at different stages of development and some may enter puberty much earlier than their peers. Further, the thought of entering puberty early can be distressing for those who have been sexually-abused as their mental capacity is not as developed as an older child; the process is more confusing than it would be for those who have higher levels of maturity. According to Neinstein (2007), early puberty can have adverse affects on the teens and lead to eating disorders in girls as well as depression in both sexes. Therefore, the ramifications of early puberty for a sexually-abused child can enhance their confusion and frustration as they are concerned with their sexuality in addition to these potential disorders. Curiosity. Experimenting with one’s body during and after puberty is normal for teenagers. As changes occur within the body, one wants to understand what these changes mean and how the body functions differently because of these changes. The sex hormones that are allowing puberty to take place will often prompt the adolescent to explore his or her body. A study surveyed Australian teens between the ages of 15 and 18. The study found that 59% of boys and 43% of girls in that age group reported having masturbated at least once, making it a very common activity (Poncelet, 2009). For parents, discussing masturbation and additional exploration of the body is considered normal or even therapeutic to ease the teen’s confusion (Wickman & West, 2002). However, many regard self-pleasuring as a shameful act. This theory (shame) is common among those who have been sexually-abused because they associate sex and their body with negative feelings and emotions. Therefore, a sexually-abused teen going through puberty and has become curious about sex is unlikely to go to the parents for support because they feel shameful for committing these acts. Additionally, many teens believe that the sexual abuse was (at least in part) their fault, heightening these feelings of shame. Further discussing the topic with a parent or guardian enhances these negative and shameful emotions; the topic is avoided as a result. The result is that teens become less educated on sex and explore themselves rather than seeking advice from peers, parents or other authority figures that they trust. The majority of the psychological impact of puberty “appears to be interwoven with social or cultural standards” (Myers, 2002, p. 161). For example, boys have been found to report increased feelings of attractiveness during puberty; girls express more dislike for their bodies, particularly regarding the more public aspects such as breast, increased height, and idea that they are no longer thin (Myers, 2002). Furthermore, the psychological impacts of puberty can refer to the demographics and social environment in which a child grows up. One who is sexually-abused in a poverty stricken area is unlikely to receive the same care (counseling) as a child who is abused in a high-income, upper class community. The children who are abused in the lower class communities will still have confusion and frustration during puberty but they are likely to lose their sense of self-worth and become sexually active as a result; they relate sexual activity to negativity and see themselves in a negative manner. Sex becomes a method for channeling their displeasure with themselves. The child in the upper-class community is likely to receive counseling and progress from the feelings associated with the abuse and how they relate to puberty. Puberty is a mandatory aspect of a teenager’s life. However, the experience can be horrifying for a sexually-abused teen as he or she is reminded of the abuse. These memories can lead to severe depression or even suicide. The correlation between sexually-abused teens and problems or issues during puberty is clear and evident. Those who were sexually-abused are at high risk during puberty while the majority of teens find puberty to be a normal experience, while still confusing.

References

Faller, K. C. (1981). Social Work with Abused and Neglected Children. Free Press.

Golden, J. M., Damon, L., & Castaldo, P. C. (1989). Group Treatment for Sexually Abused Children. New York: The Guilford Press.

Myers, J. (2002). The APSAC Handbook on Child Maltreatment. SAG E Publications.

Neinstein, L. S. (2007). Adolescent Health Care: A Practical Guide. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Pearce, J. W., Pezzot-Pearce, T. D. Psychotherapy of Abused and Neglected Children. New York: The Guilford Press.

Poncelet, B. (2009). Is Teen Masturbation Ok? Retrieved from http://teenhealth.about.com/od/physicalhealth/a/masturbation.htm

Wickman, R. E., West, J. (2002). Therapeutic Work with Sexually Abused Children. SAGE Publications.