Childhood Abuse: Mother-Daughter Sexual Abuse

When most people think about a child abuser, they see a young to middle-age man abusing a girl between the ages of 8 and 13. Most people would not even consider one of the most secretive forms of abuse: mother-daughter sexual abuse. Mother-daughter sexual abuse is not a topic that most people even consider, much less discuss, so the victims of this form of abuse often suffer in silence.

In the United States, mothers are generally esteemed, viewed as the self-sacrificer who would rather die than harm her own child. While this is true about many, and likely even most, mothers, some violate their children in the most heinous of ways. Because few people are even aware that mother-daughter sexual abuse exists, they do not suspect that abuse is happening, even when there are telltale signs screaming out the child's truth.

Many women are now speaking out about their experiences with mother-daughter sexual abuse, even though they fear that nobody will believe them because "moms don't do that." Whether or not society expects mothers to abuse their children sexually, some do. The victims often hesitate to tell anyone out of fear of not being believed and also out of embarrassment and shame. Some hesitate to enter into therapy because they fear the therapist will assume they are "crazy" rather than believe the truth.

Fortunately, the Internet is helping some of these women to find their voices. There is a website dedicated to healing from mother-daughter sexual abuse, where women are able to come together and discuss what happened to them. Just knowing that others have suffered from the same form of abuse can be very healing to these women.

Women who were sexually abused by their mothers often suffer from additional issues that might not affect people who have suffered from other forms of abuse. Many of the victims physically resemble their mothers. As they age, they see their abuser looking back at them each time they look in the mirror. Some victims of mother-daughter sexual abuse suffer with gender-identity issues. Others suffer from various forms of self-injury, including more rare forms, such as breaking bones to cope with the pain.

Another struggle experienced by many survivors of mother-daughter sexual abuse is dependency upon the mother. Many abusive mothers raise their daughters to be dependent upon them, both emotionally and financially, which makes it even harder for the abused daughter to get out of the abusive situation.

If you have been sexually abused by your mother, you are not alone. Many other women share the same story, and more are finding the courage to speak out about their experiences. While the aftereffects of mother-daughter sexual abuse are grueling, you can overcome them. You can heal from your past, no matter how heinous it is.

Whether the general public wants to believe it or not, mother-daughter sexual abuse happens. It is a very destructive form of child abuse. Women who have suffered this form of abuse have a long road to recovery ahead of them, but they can overcome their past. Finding a qualified therapist with experience in counseling women who have suffered from this form of abuse is a crucial part of healing from mother-daughter sexual abuse.