Sexual Abuse Victim Behaviors:
- Physical signs of sexual abuse (e.g., red or swollen genitalia, blood in the underwear, constant rashes, a tear in the vagina or rectum, venereal disease, hickeys on the body).
- Strong interest in or curiosity about advanced knowledge of sexuality.
- Sexual themes or sexualized behaviors emerge in play or artwork.
- Recurrent and intrusive distressing recollections or nightmares of the abuse.
- Acting or feeling as if the sexual abuse were recurring (including delusions, hallucinations, or dissociative flashback experiences).
- Unexplainable feelings of anger, rage, or fear when coming into contact with the perpetrator or after exposure to sexual topics.
- Pronounced disturbance of mood and affect (e.g., frequent and prolonged periods of depression, irritability, anxiety, fearfulness).
- Appearance of regressive behaviors (e.g., thumb-sucking, baby talk, bedwetting).
- Marked distrust in others as manifested by social withdrawal and problems with establishing and maintaining close relationships.
- Feelings of guilt, shame, and low self-esteem.
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