Learning from the experts: young people’s perspectives on how we can support healthy child development after sexual abuse

The research demonstrates that sexual abuse experienced during adolescence has distinct and complex impacts, shaped by developmental factors such as emerging identity, autonomy, relationships, and increasing social awareness.
1. Distinctive adolescent impacts

Adolescents experience a tension between dependence and autonomy, influencing perceptions of abuse and responses to it
Impacts differ from those experienced in early childhood and adulthood, requiring tailored responses

2. Broad and interconnected wellbeing impacts

Effects extend beyond diagnosable mental health conditions (e.g. PTSD, anxiety, depression) to include:

Shame, self-blame and confusion
Loss of trust and relationship difficulties
Withdrawal, behavioural changes, and disrupted education


Emotional wellbeing is shaped as much by others’ reactions (or fear of them) as by the abuse itself

3. Contextual, relational nature of harm and recovery
Young people’s wellbeing is shaped by interacting systems, including:

Family
School
Peers
Services
Wider societal attitudes

These relationships can either mitigate or exacerbate harm.
4. Delayed identification and unmet needs

Young people often cope alone for extended periods before disclosure or support
Mental health needs are frequently not recognised until crisis point or disclosure
Early intervention opportunities are often missed across systems

5. Coping and help-seeking

Initial coping strategies are often avoidant (e.g. withdrawal, self-harm, over-activity)
Help-seeking is typically delayed and informal, with friends often the first point of disclosure
Recovery is non-linear, evolving over time with support

6. Mixed experiences across systems

Family: can provide vital support but also contribute to distress through blame, disbelief or emotional impact
Schools: key site of difficulty; limited trauma awareness and missed opportunities for support
Peers: critical sources of support but also potential harm (e.g. broken trust, bullying)
Health and social care: limited accessibility, threshold barriers, and lack of holistic support
Specialist services: highly valued for relational, young person-centred, flexible support

7. Harmful systemic and societal influences

Criminal justice processes can undermine wellbeing (e.g. loss of control, re-traumatisation, disbelief)
Stigma, silencing and societal narratives about adolescence, abuse and mental health compound harm
Social media presents both risks (loss of anonymity) and opportunities (awareness and validation)

8. Need for adolescent-centred responses
The study identifies six inter-related principles for effective support:

A focus on holistic wellbeing
Young person-centred approaches
Understanding of adolescence as a distinct life stage
Recognition of young people’s agency
A rights-based framework
Attention to relationships

9. Importance of language and frameworks

Young people expressed ambivalence about terms such as mental health, recovery and resilience
There is a need for flexible, co-produced frameworks that better reflect lived experience and enable access to support


Overall conclusion:
Adolescence is a unique and critical developmental period in which the impacts of sexual abuse are deeply shaped by relationships, context, and systemic responses. Effective support requires holistic, integrated, and developmentally informed approaches, grounded in young people’s own perspectives.