Covert Sexual Abuse
Covert Sexual Abuse can happen without your knowledge. This includes being observed, photographed, stalked, and sexual cyber-harassment.
This can occur in public spaces where someone is watching others with the purpose of sexual stimulation. This experience can be unsettling for victims to discover they are being watched or photographed for the purpose of being used as a sexual object without their permission or knowledge.
If you believe you are in this situation do not approach the person. Sometimes in our anger we want to confront the person or figure out what is going on but doing so could create a more dangerous situation. In situations like this we really do not know that person's state of mind and we want to avoid escalating the situation. Find a public place that is well lit and with others around. For example, if you are in a parking lot, go back into the store. Call Law Enforcement, Covert Sexual Abuse is something you should report and ask for assistance with.
Covert Sexual Abuse can also include sexual cyber-harassment, private images you may have sent to a relationship partner being posted on the internet or distributed in some other fashion. The pain and violation that can come from intimate content being distributed can be profound. This type of abuse should be reported when discovered and is a criminal offense in many states like in Florida under F.S. 784.049. The process of removing these images can be challenging and traumatic.
When minors are involved the legal ramifications and emotional impacts are amplified significantly. For people under 18, please understand that if you or someone else is taking and distributing pictures of your body that are sexually explicit in the state of Florida they can be charged up to a felony for the creation and distribution of child pornography. The emotional ramifications of having a child’s body and identity objectified can be confusing and painful.
Experiences like these can be really frightening and lead to hypervigilance, nightmares, anxiety, depression, and difficulty carrying out day to day tasks. If you or a loved one are suffering with the aftermath of Covert Sexual Abuse please seek help with a mental health professional to regain your peace and sense of security.
FAQ’s
Q: Does sexual abuse have to involve physical contact?
A: No, sexual abuse can happen without being touched or even being in the same space as the abuser. Sexual abuses can include words spoken, sights seen, and acts done covertly, all without physical contact.
Q: What is a Trauma?
A: Trauma can be defined as an emotional response to an experience that is distressing or disturbing. With sexual trauma this often includes experiencing a “No choice, No voice” event. Experiencing something where there's a loss of control, coercion or pressure, a perceived helplessness.
Q: Can I heal from this?
A: Yes!! If you have experienced something like this, you do not have to be stuck with trauma for the rest of your life. With advanced techniques like Accelerated Resolution Therapy and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, that help to heal the impact of those events, recovery is within reach. These new techniques limit your exposure to your memory of the past event in session and expedites the healing process. Therapist with these advanced techniques can really help you to process trauma without a high level of distress in recalling the memories. Sometimes we are able to work with clients without them needing to retell the story until it no longer triggers intense emotions.
Hear more about this topic on our podcast The Reimagined Life: Episode 5: 5 Types of Sexual Abuse You May Not Be Aware Of (ft. Cristina Ally)