Women Who Were Sexually Abused as Children

Book excerpt: Stories of mothers who survived sexual abuse as children reveal the struggles, challenges, and triumphs of this special group of women. Unraveling the veil of silence and capturing the experiences of mothers who were sexually abused as children, this book offers a first step in both supporting mothers and disrupting the cycle of intergenerational abuse that keeps these mothers isolated and alone in their mothering challenges and successes. Each story reveals the concerns, the needs, the difficulties, and the fears these mothers confront as they parent their children while struggling with their own past experiences. By examining the therapeutic needs and concerns of mothers who have survived child sexual abuse, Teresa Gil offers special insight into understanding and supporting these remarkable women. At issue is understanding what helps women who were sexually abused as children to survive and to parent effectively. Written for adult mothers who were victims of childhood sexual abuse, as well as for helping professionals, this book reveals the touching details of the pain and triumphs of mothering as a survivor and examines the protective factors that support resiliency and assist survivor/mothers to overcome challenges and to provide safe environments for the next generation.