Revictimization
As I hear the stories of different girls that have been abused, I am shocked that so many try to get away only to find themselves in a new abusive situation. This is called Revictimization. I didn't know that it is common with victims of sexual abuse. It is almost as if a victim has a sign on them that says "abuse me" and they can't get it off. One of our goals is to help our girls be safe from being retrafficked or reabused.
Not all victims are vulnerable. Some become distrusting of everyone. But one report stated that two-thirds of victims of incest experience rape later in their lives. TWO -THIRDS! This brings tears to my eyes. These poor children who are abused by a family member, a person who should be showing them love, is then victimized again.
I did a very short study on why this happens by looking it up on the internet. Some of the reasons make sense. Sadly, one effect of trauma is that a person will have an inaccurate sense of danger. There is an emotional desire to trust someone and they will easily let themselves trust. They don't recognize the signs that may be obvious to others. Another reason is that the victim's understanding of what love is is obscured. They understand love comes along with pain. And victims have a sense of helplessness that puts them in vulnerable situations when they can't stand-up against unwanted sexual advancements. And then a low self-image may lead to risky behavior or substance abuse.
The two main contributing factors to a person being revictimized is PTSD and self-blame. These must be our focus areas for helping a girl to not be hurt again.
Not all victims are vulnerable. Some become distrusting of everyone. But one report stated that two-thirds of victims of incest experience rape later in their lives. TWO -THIRDS! This brings tears to my eyes. These poor children who are abused by a family member, a person who should be showing them love, is then victimized again.
I did a very short study on why this happens by looking it up on the internet. Some of the reasons make sense. Sadly, one effect of trauma is that a person will have an inaccurate sense of danger. There is an emotional desire to trust someone and they will easily let themselves trust. They don't recognize the signs that may be obvious to others. Another reason is that the victim's understanding of what love is is obscured. They understand love comes along with pain. And victims have a sense of helplessness that puts them in vulnerable situations when they can't stand-up against unwanted sexual advancements. And then a low self-image may lead to risky behavior or substance abuse.
The two main contributing factors to a person being revictimized is PTSD and self-blame. These must be our focus areas for helping a girl to not be hurt again.
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