Can Child Sex Abuse Lead to Porn Addiction?

When children experience sexual abuse, it changes who they are and affects who they will become. Being sexually abused as a child is a traumatic, life-altering experience that can lead to a host of serious problems as that child grows and matures. Child abuse of any form, but especially child abuse that involves sex and/or violence, can severely impact a child’s mental and physical health and well-being, following him or her throughout childhood and into adulthood.

Child sex abuse survivors experience a variety of consequences, ranging from depression, anxiety, eating disorders, sleep disorders (insomnia), PTSD, and low self-esteem and self-confidence to suicidal thoughts and attempts, rage and aggression, substance abuse or addiction, and self-harm behaviors. Some survivors shun sex and anything related to it, while others become hypersexual, engaging in as much sex in as many ways as possible. This can include excessively using porn.

So, can child sex abuse lead to porn addiction? Absolutely. In fact, there appears to be a strong link between sexual abuse and addiction.

What is Considered Child Sex Abuse?

Child sex abuse involves any action designed to coerce a minor (someone under the age of 18) into engaging in sexual acts with them, regardless of whether or not the child is unaware of what is happening to him or her. Even if the child does not realize it at the time, having underage sex with someone, especially an adult, can be mentally and physically traumatizing. The truth is children, especially young children, do not have the wherewithal to consent to have sex because of their ages and maturity levels, so this activity is termed, “sexual abuse.”

Child sex abuse occurs when someone takes away someone’s control over his or her body. Thus, child sexual abusers have sex or engage in sexual activities (i.e., foreplay or sexual touching) with a child. Child sexual abuse can also involve rape, sexual molestation, incest, and statutory rape. It can even include “forced sexual acts” based on a child’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

Child sexual abuse happens more than you may think. In fact, 1-4 girls and 1-13 boys, are victims of child sex abuse each year. Moreover, child sex abuse survivors have a high risk of developing an addiction (i.e., drugs, alcohol, or even porn). And, children, who are sexually abused, are 4x more likely (than the general population) to develop mental illnesses, such as anxiety and/or depression as adults.

Who Are Child Sex Abusers?

Child sex abusers can be anyone – a mother, a father, a sibling, a friend, a relative, a classmate, a religious leader, a neighbor, a coach, a daycare worker, a foster parent, a stepparent, an adoptive parent, a doctor, or even a stranger. Most times, a child knows his or her abuser. Sometimes, the abuser is another child. When one child sexually abuses another child, it is still considered child sex abuse. Thus, anyone, who sexually abuses a child, is a sex abuser.

What is Porn Addiction?

Porn addiction is an overwhelming, unwanted, and involuntary need to use porn. Porn addicts are unable to stop viewing porn – even if they want to. These individuals often use porn as a way to “escape” a past trauma, like child sex abuse, or “block out” upsetting or stressful events or experiences, like relationship problems.

Adults, who were sexually abused as children, may turn to porn because they are familiar with it. They may also use porn as a way to “escape” memories, thoughts, and emotions linked to the abuse. This is especially true if the child abuse survivor viewed porn or participated in porn at an early age.

Sometimes, people turn to porn out of boredom or loneliness. Regardless of the reason, porn addiction can destroy relationships and lead to low self-esteem and self-confidence. It can also lead to a loss of employment and financial problems. Many times, the only way to overcome porn addiction is to seek porn addiction treatment. With the right porn addiction help, adults who were sexually abused as children, can address their trauma and put porn behind them.

Will an Adult Who Was Sexually Abused as a Child Turn to Porn?

It is definitely possible, especially if the individual was also exposed to porn. Child abuse sex survivors, who were exposed to porn at an early age may view porn as “no big deal.” As a result, they may watch porn without any emotion.

These individuals may view porn as a form of entertainment and/or feel as if they are watching a video or movie, or looking at a picture. In other words, a survivor may “disconnect” from the activity or experience because sex and sexually-explicit material mean nothing to him or her. These individuals may “see” sex as a mechanical function, rather than an intimate connection.

Child abuse survivors may also learn to equate sex with porn. In this case, they are unable to complete a sexual act or enjoy sex without watching porn and/or masturbating. So, yes, there is a chance that a person, who was sexually abused as a child, will eventually turn to porn, especially if he or she was exposed to it during the abuse.

Why Do Adult Child Sex Abuse Survivors Turn to Porn?

Adult child sexual abuse survivors turn to porn as an “escape.” Porn functions like drugs and alcohol to someone, who has been sexually violated. It does not matter if the person was violated at 5 or 17. He or she is still at risk of using porn.

As mentioned above, some people, who were sexually abused as children shun sex and anything related to it, while others overly embrace sex by having unprotected sex, sex with multiple partners, engaging in non-consensual sex acts like voyeurism, masturbating excessively, and/or heavily using porn.

Some also abuse drugs and alcohol while engaging in these behaviors. The most common reason why an adult child sex abuse survivor views porn remains the same – to “escape.” Understand, that even if a child abuse survivor has been able to “block out” what happened to him or her (and the accompanying feelings), the trauma is still there – hidden, perhaps, but still there. And, even if the person tries to stifle the memories and emotions associated with the abuse, the aftereffects of the trauma will eventually come to the surface.

For instance, you may exhibit this previous trauma through your child. More specifically, you may be hesitant to allow your child’s father to bathe him or her or spend time alone with your child. Or, you may turn to drugs, alcohol, or porn to “escape” the PTSD flashbacks and distressing memories.

Porn, like alcohol and drugs, elicits feelings of happiness and joy. It numbs the emotional pain of the sexual abuse. Thus, porn produces a “high” in your body. Unfortunately, however, this “high” is only temporary, which means you keep returning to the porn because you associate it with pain relief.

What Are Some Other Consequences of Child Sex Abuse?

Some other consequences associated with child sex abuse include:

• Sexually-Transmitted Infections (STIs)
• Physical Injuries
• Poor Self-Esteem and Self-Confidence
• Physical Ailments – i.e., migraines/headaches, gastrointestinal distress, high blood pressure, chronic stress, aches and pains, etc. 
• Unexpected Pregnancies
• Adult-Onset Heart Disease, Obesity, and/or Cancer
• Legal Issues
• Sexual Dysfunction – i.e., Erectile Dysfunction (ED), Low Sex Drive, Premature Ejaculation (PE), and/or Performance Anxiety
• Unhealthy Relationships
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Substance Abuse or Addiction
• Increased Risk of Sexual Violence Towards Others
• Increased Risk for Suicidal Ideation (Suicidal Thoughts and Attempts)

Note: Girls, who are sexually abused, are at 2-13x more likely to be sexually violated as adults (i.e., raped or sexually assaulted).

Can an Adult Child Abuse Survivor Become a Sex Addict?

Yes, an adult child abuse survivor can become a sex addict.

Sex addiction is linked to hypersexuality. Hypersexuality involves an extremely high sex drive or a “fascination with” or “fixation on” sex and sexual acts. A person, who was sexually abused as a child may develop an “obsession” with sex stemming from his or her exposure to it at an early age. If the survivor was exposed to porn as a child, he or she may become a porn addict and a sex addict.

What does that mean? It means that the individual may become “obsessed” with porn and sex. Thus, he or she may “heavily use porn” and have lots of sex. In other words, this child sexual abuse survivor may engage in reckless sexual behaviors, like sleeping around and/or participating in risky sexual acts, like causal or random sex, BDSM, etc.

So, yes, it is possible, and may even be probable that some adult child abuse survivors will eventually become sex addicts.

Where does this mentality come from? It stems from the survivor’s childhood experiences with sex. Because he or she was exposed to sex and possibly porn as a child, he or she views sex and porn differently than most people. This individual does not equate sex with bonding or love, rather, it is something “to do,” a “function,” or a means to an end. Past sex abuse can negatively impact how the survivor views sex, love, and even relationships.

Can Porn Be a Form of Child Sex Abuse?

Yes, it can.

If a child is exposed to porn against his or her will, and/or if he or she is “forced” to participate in sexual acts for porn purposes, it is still considered “child sexual abuse.” And, it is still traumatizing for that child. A common misconception is that child sex abuse only applies if there is physical contact. That is not true. Exposing a child to porn (in any form) is also considered child abuse or child exploitation.

Child sex abusers often “force” children to view porn only to use it against them later. In other words, a sex abuse perpetrator will threaten to tell the child’s friends and family that he or she has viewed or engaged in porn – even though they “forced” him or her to do it. This is terrifying for a child, so they remain silent and the abuse continues.

Child abusers are master manipulators. Child sex abusers are also masters at “grooming” children to perform certain acts, like participating in porn videos. Abusers blackmail vulnerable children to get them to do what they want them to do. Even being exposed to porn can change a child’s life forever.

Porn exposure, for instance, can warp a child’s (and later an adult’s) perception of healthy relationships. And, of course, it can negatively impact a person’s sex life when he or she becomes an adult. Being exposed to porn can cause sexually abused children to view sex as an “act,” not as a way to emotionally and physically bond with someone they love.

Is There Hope for an Adult Child Abuse Survivor Who Has a Porn Addiction?

Yes, there is! 

Porn addiction stemming from child sex abuse can be successfully treated. Treatment will likely consist of both trauma-related therapies and behavioral addiction or impulse-control addiction treatments. However, there is hope. 

You can recover from porn addiction, but you must also “heal” from the trauma. One of the premier treatments for trauma-related conditions, like PTSD, OCD, and even addiction is EMDR and the “gold standard” treatment for porn addiction is CBT. These two treatments are commonly combined to form a highly effective treatment protocol for porn addicts with a history of child sex abuse.

How is Porn Addiction Treated?

Porn addiction is typically treated with psychotherapy – cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). However, in the case of child sexual abuse, trauma counseling, grief counseling, family counseling, individual counseling, eye movement desensitization response (EMDR) therapy, and/or group counseling may be used to help an adult, who has experienced this type of trauma, “heal” from it. 

Other porn addiction treatments may include mindfulness mediation, hypnotherapy and hypnosis, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), compassion-focused therapy, skills and process therapy, psychodynamic therapy, porn addiction support groups, and motivational interviewing. Self-help tools like porn addiction forums, podcasts, self-help workbooks, apps, seminars, and books on porn addiction can also be added to any porn addiction treatment plan. 

One porn addiction treatment that has shown tremendous success is Stop Together. Stop Together is an online porn addiction recovery program, designed to help you address your trauma-induced porn addiction, so you can accomplish your goals and enjoy your life – free of porn.

References

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