Why Go Back? 7 Steps to Healing from Childhood Sexual Abuse

Why Go Back? 7 Steps to Healing from Childhood Sexual Abuse provides comprehensive information on the numerous impacts of abuse and a number of steps to overcome them. It is written to help other victims of abuse and all those who support them. We are not experts in anything other than our own lives.

The information contained within this book is based on our own experiences of abuse and what we found helped us. The book is divided into three sections with each one covering a particular theme.

Part One explores child sexual abuse, and the psychological impacts on its victims. It demonstrates the various grooming techniques perpetrators use on their victims. It also looks at the many contradictions and confusions that existed when dealing with the emotions surrounding relationships with abusers.

Part Two includes a number of questionnaires that we used to assist us in identifying some areas in our life that were affected by our abuse and showed us where our focus was required in order to move forward. We also present the seven steps we used to heal along with some simple exercises and tips to support survivors on their personal healing journey.

Part Three discusses secondary victims and mothers who have or are currently struggling with issues around abuse. It includes personal stories of mothers, one of who is supporting a young victim, another who is supporting a young offender and finally a daughter who is struggling to make sense of her own mother’s awareness of her abuse and her unwillingness to intervene.

We provide some useful information for partners living with adult victims of childhood sexual abuse and discuss how both are affected while navigating through the counselling process. We then talk about our experience of the justice system. We discuss the importance of education in the justice system when dealing with victims of abuse and we explore the necessity to change how paedophiles are viewed and the importance of providing supports and services for everyone.

Each section includes examples from our own experiences and details of what we each found useful. We trust this book supports you on your journey. We hope that it clears up some of the confusion that surrounds abuse for family and friends who are equally struggling to deal with the impacts of this horrendous crime.