January 25th 2025.
In the UK alone, it is estimated that there are 11 million survivors of child sexual abuse. This staggering number is a reminder that the costs of abuse go beyond just the emotional toll it takes on survivors. It can impact their education, work, and relationships, while also hindering their path to healing due to a lack of mental healthcare support and financial instability.
Sally Baker, now a senior therapist in her sixties, was only seven years old when she was sexually assaulted by two teenage boys at a family friend's house. The trauma of the attack followed her throughout her life, affecting her education, causing unhealthy relationships, and requiring decades of therapy to rebuild her self-worth. She recalls, "I had a headline in my head from when I was about 15: 'Girl found dead in a ditch.' You feel like you're pushed onto a trajectory that can only end in death."
The impact of abuse is not limited to just the survivor, but it also affects their families and society as a whole. A Home Office Report found that the lifetime cost incurred by society and survivors due to child sexual abuse amounts to a staggering £10.1 billion. This number does not even include the costs of non-contact abuse, such as child sex abuse material.
Gabrielle Shaw, the chief executive of The National Association for People Abused in Childhood, explains that the economic consequences of abuse can devastate survivors and their families, leading to financial instability and challenges in maintaining stable employment. This can result in reduced lifetime earnings and persistent economic insecurity.
Sally's experience of abuse was made worse by the fact that when she first disclosed it to her mother as a child, she was told not to mention it again. Reflecting on this, Sally shares, "I immediately internalized it as my fault and believed this happened because I did something wrong." While her mother did confront the abusers, she kept it to herself, and Sally only found out about it over 20 years later during a family meeting. This meant that Sally faced the impact of the trauma alone for many years.
The costs of abuse also extend to the immense amount of money spent on therapy and mental health support. Sally estimates that she has spent over £100,000 on therapy throughout her life, starting from her teens. She adds, "It's hard to put a number on the true cost to myself and the health services." The abuse also affected her education, and she did not attend university until her forties, hindering her career trajectory.
Psychotherapist Nadyne McKie, who has worked with many victims of child sexual abuse, shares that she has never treated a patient who was believed upon first disclosure. She adds, "I'm always dumbfounded by the number of people who have told a parent or a caregiver and been disbelieved or dismissed. This betrayal of trust at such a young age can have a profound impact on survivors."
For some survivors, the effects of abuse may manifest in their education, causing them to underachieve and miss out on opportunities. Sophie Olson, who was sexually abused by a family member from a young age, shares that it had a huge impact on her education and led to her being diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome. She adds, "I was thrown out of my degree by my course lead, who told me that I was a waste of university space and that, because I was lazy, I'd never achieve anything in life."
The trauma also affected Sophie's confidence and her ability to secure employment opportunities. She shares, "It was easier for me to hang onto the identity of bad mental health than to challenge it, but in the long-term, it was extremely damaging because it kept me caged in this belief that I'd never be able to live well." She was eventually misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder, and the experience only further hindered her personal and professional growth.
The impact of child sexual abuse can have a lifelong ripple effect, not just on the survivor but also on their families and society. It is essential to not only raise awareness but also provide proper support and resources for survivors to heal and thrive. As Sophie aptly puts it, "The true cost of abuse cannot be measured in just monetary terms; it's the lost potential and the shattered lives that have the most significant impact."
In the United Kingdom, it is estimated that there are 11 million survivors of child sexual abuse. One such survivor, Sally Baker, was only seven years old when she was sexually assaulted by two teenage boys at a family friend's house. This traumatic experience had a profound impact on her life, causing her to struggle with her education, relationships, and self-worth for decades. As she recalls, "I had a headline in my head from when I was about 15: 'Girl found dead in a ditch.' It felt like I was on a path that could only lead to my death."
Sally's struggles are unfortunately not unique. The effects of child sexual abuse can be far-reaching, hindering survivors' ability to thrive in all aspects of their lives. This includes education, work, and relationships, and can also prevent them from receiving the necessary mental health support due to financial instability.
A report by the Home Office found that the lifetime cost of child sexual abuse to society and survivors in the UK is £10.1 billion. This staggering figure does not even include the costs of non-contact abuse, such as child sex abuse material. As Gabrielle Shaw, the chief executive of The National Association for People Abused in Childhood, explains, "The economic consequences devastate the lives of survivors and their families, often creating cycles of financial instability. Survivors face significant challenges in maintaining stable employment, with many experiencing reduced lifetime earnings and persistent economic insecurity."
For Sally, the trauma of her abuse was compounded by her mother's reaction. When she first told her mother about the assault, she was told not to speak of it again. This led Sally to blame herself and feel like she couldn't trust anyone. It wasn't until over 20 years later, during a family meeting, that she learned her mother had actually confronted the abusers. But by keeping this to herself, her mother unintentionally left Sally to deal with the trauma alone for years.
The impact of child sexual abuse on Sally's mental health has been significant. She estimates that she has spent over £100,000 on therapy throughout her life, and the abuse also affected her education and career. She didn't go to university until she was in her 40s, and her whole career trajectory was colored by the abuse. She also expresses frustration with the lack of funding for mental health support for survivors, saying, "I'm deeply frustrated by those constant awareness days without any funding. I see a lot of childhood abuse survivors who don't have access to any publicly funded healthcare because if you want anything more than cognitive behavioral therapy, there's no funding for it."
Psychotherapist Nadyne McKie has worked extensively with survivors of child sexual abuse and has never treated a patient who was believed upon first disclosure. She explains, "I'm always dumbfounded by the number of people who have told a parent or a carer and been disbelieved or dismissed. This has a huge impact on trust and can lead to a lifetime of struggling to reach their full potential."
Sophie Olson, founder and director of the non-profit organization Flying Child CIC, is also a survivor of child sexual abuse. She was abused by a family member from a very young age, and the effects are still felt keenly today. "It was very much hidden from everyone around me," she says. "My signs of distress were ignored and dismissed. It had a huge impact on my education." Despite being diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, she managed to attend university, but the trauma of her abuse caught up with her when she entered further education.
Sophie recalls, "I couldn't get out of bed in the morning and missed the first couple of weeks, and then when I asked for help, I didn't receive any. I was thrown out of my degree by my course leader, who told me that I was a waste of university space and that, because I was lazy, I'd never achieve anything in life." This experience severely impacted her self-worth and contributed to her struggles with employment. Even after becoming a young mother, she lacked the confidence to apply for a job at a local supermarket.
Sophie's mental health also suffered as a result of her abuse. She was eventually misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder and spent years in and out of psychiatric wards, including two stints in rehab. She explains, "It was easier for me to hang onto the identity of bad mental health than to challenge it, but in the long-term, it was extremely damaging because it kept me caged in this belief that I'd never be able to live well."
The true cost of child sexual abuse is immeasurable, not just in financial terms but also in the toll it takes on survivors' mental health, relationships, and overall well-being. It's time for more awareness, support, and funding to help survivors heal and thrive.
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