Invisible Girls Book Review

Child sexual abuse leaves a huge impact on its victims. Following child sexual abuse initial effects include fear, anger, hostility, guilt and shame, low self-esteem, anxiety, early overt sexual behavior and behavioral disturbances; these same feelings can last into adulthood. Childhood sexual abuse survivors may experience depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, dissociation, low self-esteem and Post Traumatic Shock Disorder . The article Sexual Abuse Histories of Young Women in the U.S. Child Welfare System informs that rape, being tortured or a victim of terrorists and molestation are the types of drama associated with PTSD (Breno, AL, and MP Galupo). Incest child sexual abuse survivors may have more severe problems, especially if the offender …show more content…
Patti Feuereisen is a psychotherapist in New York, author of the book Invisible Girls. This book captures the stories of sexually abused girls, who kept their abuse a secret for many years. Dr. Patti makes visits to different schools in New York to talk to girls about sexual abuse. During these visits she talks to the girls on the importance of identifying sexual abuse, reporting it to prevent other victims and starting the healing process. The stories written in this book all have something in common, all the victims felt responsible for the abuse. No child is responsible for being sexually abused by an adult. The abusers in these real- life stories were fathers, uncles, brothers, family friends and teachers or coaches, whom the victims had a high level of respect and loved. This makes it easier for the abuser to abuse the victim and brainwash the victim into keeping the abuse a secret. The victim is confused during and after the abuse has taken place because prior to the abuse the abuser has been a loving and caring person, therefore she questions whether the abuse was wrong. The girls explained that deep inside they knew something was not right but the abusers asserted them that what they were doing was normal. These girls also mention that their parents never questioned their odd behavior post the abuse and never spoke to them about sexual abuse, therefore they had no knowledge other than from school programs at an older age, which the abuse had already taken place. Dr. Patti’s patients all described a sense of relief when they finally told someone about their abuse and they no longer kept it a secret. They also add that by speaking to others about their abuse helps with the healing process