Bruised but not Broken: Self-concept of Sexually Abused Female Children

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.