At the Mission Haven, we interact with children who have been subjected to different manners of abuse. One thing we've come to see in all our years of relationships with sexual abuse survivors is that they're trying very hard to put their past behind them. Unfortunately, not many of them have the mental and emotional capacity to muster the courage they need to do this and move on with life.
Sometimes, because of shame and the psychological trauma they've suffered, they find it challenging to reintegrate back into normal social life or even reconnect with their families. We've also seen that the trauma seems most significant when a child has been molested by someone close to them. Actually, more than fifty percent of child sexual abuse cases were perpetrated by adults, family members, or friends who were close to the child.
In many cases where the child's mind is still too young to understand what has been done to their body, they often cower away in fear, and the psychological damage lingers on into their teenage years and adulthood. The extent of this impact can be grave, especially if the victim becomes pregnant or suffers a disease due to the experience. In cases where fathers molest their daughters, such children may not be able to say a word to another soul about what they're facing.
Oftentimes, the reason is not because they're not willing to get help, but when the place where they believe is safest turns out to be a nightmare, there's very little hope in the prospect of getting help from outside. This situation, coupled with fear, can do a number on any affected child. To help such children see a reason to go on to live their best lives, a comprehensive rehabilitation program is necessary.
Effective Rehabilitation Programs for Sexually-Abused Children
Without proper rehabilitation, it can be a very tough challenge for any child who has been exposed to sexual abuse to live a normal, productive life. Here are some ways rehabilitation programs can help:
1. Dealing with the hurt and overcoming trauma: Considering the enormous trauma that sexually-abused children are faced with, chances are, they will slip into degenerative coping behaviors. This can be smoking, drug addiction, identifying with a criminal gang, prostitution, and just about any other vice that serves as a coping mechanism. With proper counseling and therapy, there's a high chance that the child or teenager will overcome the pain, learn to embrace genuine love, and live a decent life.
2. Restoring self-esteem: Children exposed to abuse and sexual molestation often have an eroded sense of self-worth. Another benefit of a comprehensive rehabilitation program for survivors of child sexual abuse is that it helps them regain confidence in themselves. The fear of rejection from peers and family is minimal or completely eliminated. This makes it easy to rejoin society with a head held up high.
3. Providing an opportunity to learn essential skills: Child sex traffickers do not only rob children of their innocence and childhood; they also deprive them of the chance to learn like other children and dream of their best tomorrows. As a corrective measure, rehabilitation facilities like the Mission Haven, offer survivors of child sex trafficking an opportunity for multiple learning opportunities designed to get them back on track.
At the Mission Haven, we do not only provide therapy and counseling, but we also provide a healthy learning environment that allows each child or teenager to explore their learning and creative skills.
Help Us Reach More Children at The Mission Haven
The Mission Haven is a nonprofit, charity-funded organization focused on providing a comprehensive and transformational Haven of Healing for victims and survivors of child sexual exploitation and sex trafficking. We believe that every single DMST or child sex trafficking survivor still has a chance at life at its best.
Our goal at The Mission Haven is to provide them with all the support they need to start over. With your generous donations and support, we can continue to provide a truly safe haven of hope and healing equipped with essential resources to lift victims and survivors of domestic minor sex trafficking. To give, volunteer, or become a partner, feel free to contact us today.