More than a quarter of Australians were sexually abused as children, generally experiencing child sexual abuse (CSA) multiple times. Complex trauma often ensues and has been associated with substantial and pervasive long-term emotional, psychological, physical, behavioural, interpersonal, and financial impacts.

The National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse recently conducted the Australian child sexual abuse attitudes, knowledge and response study, surveying a nationally representative sample of over 4,000 adults. Data collected using an online questionnaire explored the Australian community’s understanding of, and responses to CSA.  

In relation to understanding the impacts of CSA, results showed that 80-90% of participants knew that victim-survivors of CSA often experience difficulties with relationships, substance use, and psychological health. However, fewer (60-70%) recognised more distal impacts on basic needs throughout adulthood such as disruptions to job-, housing-, and financial-security, and poorer physical health. Importantly, 13% of respondents thought there were no ongoing impacts of CSA and 33% didn’t understand the impacts well enough to respond appropriately to an adult’s disclosure of CSA. In responding to a hypothetical regarding an adult friend’s disclosure, 24% said they couldn’t connect with their friend’s pain (another 30% were unsure), and 5% would try to avoid their friend. Overall, these results demonstrate the community’s limited understanding of CSA-related complex trauma, which means that victim-survivors may be unsupported or misunderstood at important points in their life.  

Victim-survivors may seek therapeutic and support services to aid their recovery. Given the broad impacts, many workforces, not just specialist services, will encounter CSA-victim-survivors. We explore how practitioners can implement evidence-based initiatives to strengthen adults’ understanding of the needs of child and adult CSA victim-survivors, foster compassionate and supportive responses, and deepen the community’s understanding of the impacts of CSA and complex trauma, thereby enhancing healing and recovery from CSA.