The American Red Cross

24 May 2010

A Runaway Love

One in seven youth will run away from home before the age of 18.
David Finkelhor's conclusions about the effects and the impact of child sex abuse is transparently clear. Not unanimously agreed upon, but still clear.
1/3 will be approached to enter the sex trade with in 48 hours.
Obviously, there are a number of variables involved when you look at a person's response to sex abuse. Age, sex of the victim and the offender, the extent of sexual abuse, the relationship between the victim and the offender, the reaction of others to the knowledge of sexual abuse and other life experiences to name a few. But there are four general categories, all having to do with psychological and behavioral effects of a CHILD.
Runaways are often the victims of sexual abuse before they leave home.
#1 Traumatic sexualization. Included in the psychological outcomes of traumatic sexualization are aversive feelings about sex, overvaluing sex, and sexual identity problems. Behavioral manifestations of traumatic sexualization constitute a range of hypersexual behaviors as well as avoidance of or negative sexual encounters.
They feel that it's safer on the streets than to live at home ...
#2 Stigmatization. Common psychological manifestations of stigmatization are what Sgroi calls "damaged goods syndrome"43 and feelings of guilt and responsibility for the abuse or the consequences of disclosure. These feelings are likely to be reflected in self-destructive behaviors such as substance abuse, risk-taking acts, self-mutilation, suicidal gestures and acts, and provocative behavior designed to elicit punishment.
... so they run.
#3 Betrayal. Perhaps the most fundamental damage from sexual abuse is its undermining of trust in those people who are supposed to be protectors and nurturers. Other psychological impacts of betrayal include anger and borderline functioning. Behavior that reflects this trauma includes avoidance of investment in others, manipulating others, re-enacting the trauma through subsequent involvement in exploitive and damaging relationships, and engaging in angry and acting-out behaviors.
Unfortunately, runaways understand abuse.
#4 Powerlessness. The psychological impact of the trauma of powerlessness includes both a perception of vulnerability and victimization and a desire to control or prevail, often by identification with the aggressor. As with the trauma of betrayal, behavioral manifestations may involve aggression and exploitation of others. On the other hand, the vulnerability effect of powerlessness may be avoidant responses, such as dissociation and running away; behavioral manifestations of anxiety, including phobias, sleep problems, elimination problems, and eating problems; and revictimization.
[trauma, stigmatization, betrayal; they also know about being powerless]
 So a pimp doesn't have to put them thru the normal break-in process.



Even though they will try ...


...shes already broken.


SOURCES:
Song:Runaway Love - listen now
http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/usermanuals/sexabuse/sexabuseb.cfm

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TALK PLAINLY to your own; as it is one of the worst temptations not to know what we have to meet with. - Dr Carle C. Quale