The world in which we raise our children is extremely violent. Millions of children are victims of child physical and sexual abuse every year. Many more children are frequent witnesses of violence: they watch it, hear it and read about it. Violence is a major theme in television shows, movies, newscasts, music, sports, literature and children's toys. It is rampant in many North American cities and it is a constant presence in families in which there is domestic violence.

Many people come from backgrounds where abuse occurred, which can continue to cause behavioral, emotional and cognitive challenges well into adulthood. Unfortunately, the effects of being exposed to or the victim of violence during childhood doesn't magically disappear when we enter college.

For this reason, CASAS services are available to any student who has ever experienced a crime, regardless of whether it occurred during childhood, adolescence, adulthood or while a student in college.

Common Behaviors and Coping Mechanisms of Childhood Sexual Assault Survivors:

• Eating Disturbances - The issue is control over physical self and can be used as a coping mechanism to reestablish control over one's body.


• Sleep Disturbances - These are any changes in sleeping patterns (i.e. sleeping with the lights on, with animals or stuffed animals, sleeping with clothes on or the radio on.) One may experience nightmares related or unrelated to the sexual assault.


• Role Reversal - (trained to "take care of others needs") A sexual assault survivor may develop a sense that their needs are unimportant and that taking care of others needs is more important. Conditional relating might also be present because they have learned that they have to give something to be loved or accepted ("nothing is free").


• Extremely Low Self-Esteem - Survivors may have doubts about worth or ability and may feel like they are "damaged goods", or that they must have caused the abuse.


• Isolation and Lack of Relating Skills - Isolation is used as a way of coping rather than having to deal with the stress of relating to others.


• Inappropriate / Ineffective Use of Power and Control - The dynamic of sexual assault is that one person abuses their power over another individual. The sexual assault survivor has learned that relationships are not equal, therefore, it can be difficult for a survivor to relate to others in a way that demonstrates mutuality.