Bruised but not Broken: Self-concept of Sexually Abused Female Children
Main Article Content
Keywords
ideal self, self-concept, self-esteem, self-image, sexual abuse
Abstract
Sexual abuse is a social issue in the Philippines that affects the self-concept of victims. With the increasing number of cases, there is a need to explore this phenomenon and determine how it harmed the victim's self-concept. This qualitative research studied the lives of 13 female children under a government-operated residential institution using the narratives approach. Three components of self-concept were analyzed: self-esteem, self-image, and ideal self. Following the abuse, the participants had feelings of worthlessness, self-pity, self-blame and isolation. They perceived themselves as hateful, fearful, and helpless but this did not stop them from having dreams and being self-satisfied. Hence, the study suggests that psychological tests on self-concept be administered to the victims to provide an appropriate intervention for this type of population. Findings have implications to educational institutions with students who suffered from sexual abuse.
Publication History
Version of Record online: August 22, 2022
Manuscript accepted: April 4, 2022
Manuscript revised: February 9, 2022
Manuscript received: February 4, 2020
References
Anderson D. (2011) Self-concept. In: Goldstein S., Naglieri J.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of child behavior and development. Springer, Boston, MA. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007%2F978-0-387-79061-9_2531#howtocite
Adefolalu, A.O. (2014). Fear of the perpetrator: a major reason why sexual assault victims delayed presenting at hospital. Tropical Medicine and International Health. 19(3) 342-347. https://doi.org/10.1111/tmi.12249
Alboebadi, F.,Afshari, P., Jamshidi, F., Poor, R., & Cheraghi, M. (2015). Relationship of sexual assault with selfconcept and general health in victims referred to forensic Center in Ahvaz city. Arch Med Sadowej Kryminol, 65(4), 199-213. https:// www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27543955
Braun, V. & Clarke, V. (2006) Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101. http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/11735
Cantón-Cortés, D., Cortés, M., & Cantón, J. (2012). The role of traumagenic dynamics on the psychological adjustment of survivors of child sexual abuse. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 9(6), 665-680. https://doi.org/10.1080/17405629.2012.660789
Department of Health (2018). Women and children protection program. https://www.doh.gov.ph/women-and-children-protection-program
Dukett, J.D. (2015). Childhood sexual abuse and identity development: The role of attachment and self-esteem (master’s thesis). Illinois State University. http://doi.org/10.30707/ETD2015.Dukett.J
Ekechukwu, R. E, & Isiguzo, B. C. (2015). Psychological factors associated with learned helplessness among adolescents in Rivers State. European Journal of Research and Reflection in Educational Sciences. 3 (4). http://www.idpublications.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/psychological-factors-associated-with-learned-helplessness-among-adolescents-in-rivers-state.pdf
Fry, D., McCoy, A., & Swales, D. (2012). The consequences of maltreatment on children's lives: A systematic review of data from the East Asia and Pacific Region. Trauma Violence Abuse. 13(4), pp. 209-233. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524838012455873
Gibson, K. & Morgan, M. (2013). Narrative research on child sexual abuse: Addressing Perennial Problems in Quantitative Research. Qualitative Research in Psychology. (10:3) 298-317. https://doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2011.606597
Hall, M., & Hall, J. (2011). The long-term effects of childhood sexual abuse: Counseling implications. http://counselingoutfitters.com/vistas/vistas11/Article_19.pdf
Hassan, M. (2014). Patterns of sexual abuse among children who received care in an emergency department in a Midwestern City. https://etd.ohiolink.edu/!etd.send_file?accession=case1395914154&disposition=inline
Kim, B.N., Park, S., Park, M.H. (2017). The relationship of sexual abuse with self-esteem, depression, and problematic internet use in Korean adolescents. Psychiatry Investigation, 14(3), 372-375. https://doi.org/10.4306/pi.2017.14.3.372
Lalor, K. & McElvaney, R. (2010). Child sexual abuse, links to later sexual exploitation/high risk sexual behavior and prevention/ treatment programmes. Trauma, Violence and Abuse, (11), 159-177. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524838010378299
McAdams, D.P., & McLean, K.C. (2013). Narrative identity. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 22(3), 233-238. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721413475622
Meydan, A.T. (2020). The relationship between child sexual abuse, self-concept and psychopathology: The moderating role of social support and perceived parental quality. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.104938
Mundorf, E.S.H (2013). Childhood abuse survivors’ experience of self over the course of emotion focused therapy for trauma: A qualitative analysis. (doctoral dissertation) University of Windsor, Ontario, Canada. http://scholar.uwindsor.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5948&context=etd
Nikischer, A.B. (2014). Dreams deferred: The impact of sexual assault during adolescence on the educational outcomes and life choices of women. Adult Education Research Conference. http://newprairiepress.org/aerc/2014/papers/58
Philippine Statistics Authority (2016). Women and men in the Philippines. https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/main-publication/Women%2520and%2520Men%2520Handbook%25202016.pdf
Proclamation No. 75, s. 1948. https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1948/06/19/proclamation-no-75-s-1948/
Radford, L., Corral, S., Bradley, C., Fisher, H., Bassett, C., Howat, N., Collishaw, S. (2011). Child abuse and neglect in the UK today. London: NSPCC.
Sabanci, T. (2015). Expressions of hope and aspiration among young people receiving rehabilitation services in Kampala, Uganda. [Em linha]. Lisboa: ISCTE-IUL. Dissertação de mestrado. [Consult. Dia Mês Ano]. www:http://hdl.handle.net/10071/10351
Thomas, S.P., Bannister, S.C., & Hall, J.M. (2012). Anger in the trajectory of healing from childhood maltreatment. Journal of Psychiatric Nursing, 26(3): 169-180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnu.2011.09.003
Trickett, P., Noll, J., & Putnam, F. (2013). The impact of sexual abuse on female development. Dev. Psychopathol., 23(2): 453-476. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579411000174
Turner, H.A., Finkelhor, D., & Ormrod, R. (2010). The effects of adolescent victimization on self-concept and depressive symptoms. Child Maltreatment, 15(1), 76-90. http://unh.edu/ccrc/pdf/CV179.pdf
World Health Organization (2017). Responding to children and adolescents who have been sexually abused: WHO clinical guidelines. https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/259270/9789241550147-eng.pdf
Yap, D.J. (2016, July 25). Child abuse on rise, DSWD shows. Philippine Daily Inquirer. http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/798772/child-abuse-onrise-dswd-report-shows
Young, T., Riggs, M. & Robinson, J. (2011). Childhood sexual abuse severity reconsidered: A factor structure of CSA characteristics. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 20(4): 373-395. https://doi.org/10.1080/10538712.2011.590124
Article Sidebar
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.