Historical Sexual Abuse Support

If you have been sexually abused or sexually assaulted in the distant past, you may need historical sex abuse counselling. You are entitled to free counselling, support, justice and redress. Survivors of sexual assault or abuse often feel too overwhelmed by the memory to talk about it. So, many survivors who experienced sexual violence as a child close off, compartmentalising the trauma, often for 20 or more years until they are ready to deal with it.

Coming to terms with institutional child sexual abuse and finding justice can be anxiety-provoking and terrifying, but this is part of the healing process. And since the Royal Commission, historical sexual abuse support is available to survivors.

What to Do if You Suffered Historical Child Sexual Abuse

Sexual violence is often an umbrella term for harmful sexual behaviours such as rape, sexual assault and child sexual abuse. But whatever the lawyers call it, if you have experienced sexual assault or been forced, tricked or coerced into unwanted sex, it is a criminal offence, no matter what age you are or were and whether it happened yesterday or in the distant past.

If you have experienced child sexual assault or suffer from the damage that can be done through historical abuse as a child, contacting sexual assault support services or our caring and compassionate sexual abuse solicitors at IACHA may be the most critical first step on your road to recovery.

How to Tell if Someone Has Been Sexually Abused

It can be difficult to distinguish between medical disorders and the signs of historical child sexual abuse in an adult since the symptoms are many and varied and can be both physical and psychological. Seek help through a counsellor or call us at IACHA, where our historical sexual abuse solicitors can support you and point you in the right direction to receive counselling and support.

Psychological Signs and Symptoms:

Adult survivors of childhood sexual violence or abuse may need support to deal anxiety and depression, and other symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). These signs may include profound shame and guilt even though the survivor is assured that what happened to them as a child was not their fault. Other symptoms are difficulty concentrating, emotional outbursts, memory loss, hypervigilance, and restlessness.

Support is essential for survivors, and while many other experiences can cause PTSD, adult survivors of institutional child sex abuse can exhibit extreme avoidance of certain situations, places, people, sounds, and smells. These situations may trigger painful memories of the abuse.

Historical sexual abuse can affect the ability to have healthy personal relationships due to outbursts of anger, an inability to build boundaries and say NO, a fear of intimacy and attachment but also of being alone, an abiding lack of trust and being a people-pleaser. Counselling and support services may help survivors come to terms with the abuse though they never forget it.

Physical Signs and Symptoms:

The physical symptoms associated with childhood sexual abuse can include anorexia, digestive problems, sexual dysfunction, chronic pain, headaches, arthritis or joint pain, and gynaecological and immune disorders. There can also be compulsive eating, obesity, lethargy and listlessness. Speak to a trusted counsellor or GP if you are a survivor of historical child sexual abuse so they can support you with both your physical and psychological symptoms.

These signs and disorders are also suffered by people who have not been sexually assaulted or abused. Also, other symptoms of childhood sexual violence or trauma may not be listed here. Seek historical child abuse counselling rather than trying to wade through the recovery process alone. Free and confidential historical sexual abuse therapy through a sexual assault service can change your life and bring you relief, support, and self awareness on your road towards healing.

We Are Here to Help You

Remember, you have every right to historical sexual abuse legal action, support, and compensation. Our goal as historical sexual abuse solicitors is to make your story known to these institutions and achieve compensation for the abuse you suffered under their authority.

If you have recently experienced sexual assault, or you want to access our legal support and historical sexual assault services at IACHA today, our contact details are here, or just phone 1300 679 222, email info@iacha.com.au, or send us a message on the online form.