Sexual abuse as trauma and posttraumatic Growth

Abstract

In the fifth edition of the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders)1, sexual abuse is defined as trauma, whereby a traumatic event is defined as a direct or potential threat, which applies to the direct exposure to sexual violence, or witnessing another person’s trauma, or being aware that a close person has been traumatized. DSM-5 enumerates various forms of sexual violence: forced sexual penetration, alcohol/ drug-facilitated sexual penetration, abusive sexual contact, noncontact sexual abuse, sexual trafficking2 and also child sexual abuse, which encompasses any sexual act involving a child that is intended to provide