Consequences of sexual violence against children and how they affect nursing

Abstract

Sexual violence is a global phenomenon, and nurses might encounter children who have experienced any type of sexual violence at some point in their careers. This study aimed to identify the signs and consequences that often might be misidentified as destructive behavior. Another goal was to identify how these consequences affect holistic nursing care. The objective was to provide reliable information about this global phenomenon and to raise awareness of the topic.

The study was conducted as a descriptive literature review and searches were done using CINAHL, Medline, and PubMed databases. The searches and data collection were done between October and December in 2021. After doing the systematic and qualitative searches, ten studies were included in this study.

The results indicated that the most common consequences were physical injuries and psychiatric disorders. The severity of injuries and disorders varies based on the age of the child. The sexual violence had an effect on the child´s normal development and the results suggest that nurses have multiple areas to take into consideration when taking care of a child who has experienced any type of sexual violence. Despite the importance of the nurse´s role, there is currently not enough information or knowledge how to encounter these types of patients