Från förgripen till stigmatiserad : En litteraturstudie om hur sexuella övergrepp i barndomen påverkar vuxenlivet

Sammanfattning: The purpose of this essay is to create new understanding and knowledge about how individuals who have become sexually exploited in childhood, experience their living and environment as adults. The questions include how individuals perceive that the abuse has affected adulthood, what common patterns that can be found and what factors that are important for the well-being of these individuals. The material that forms the basis for this study includes four autobiographies in which the authors tell about the sexual abuse they were exposed to in childhood. The theoretical framework consists of Erwing Goffman's theory of stigmatization and the concepts of appearance and front and rear region, which are derived from his dramaturgical perspective. Previous research describes, inter alia, that the impact of sexual abuse is individual, that social support is an important factor for the well-being of vulnerable people, and that the abuse negatively affects how social roles are handled. The result shows that the effects from childhood abuse on adulthood can be related to the environment's support and response. Unlike previous research, this essay shows common patterns of the studied individuals including feelings of shame and guilt and experiences that the relationship with the environment has been adversely affected. The individuals perceive themselves as stigmatized by their surroundings, which worsens their ability to progress after the events. Thus, their well-being in adulthood can be seen to depend on the surroundings view of victims of sexual abuse. Increased support and understanding is also what the individuals themselves express that the environment can improve to help them move on with their lives.