Stigma surrounding sexual abuse prevents millions of people from seeking help. Understanding, challenging, and dismantling this stigma is essential for public mental health.
Two Types of Sexual Abuse Stigma
Social stigma: Negative attitudes and discrimination from others toward people with sexual abuse
Self-stigma: Internalized shame and negative self-perception due to experiencing sexual abuse
Both forms cause harm — self-stigma often delays help-seeking more than social stigma.
Where Sexual Abuse Stigma Comes From
- Historical misunderstanding of mental health conditions as moral failures
- Media portrayals that misrepresent sexual abuse
- Cultural and community norms that discourage emotional acknowledgment
- Fear: people distance themselves from sexual abuse to manage their own fears about vulnerability
Overcoming Sexual Abuse Stigma
Contact theory shows that personal stories reduce stigma. Sharing your own experience — when safe to do so — is one of the most powerful anti-stigma actions available.
Don't Let Stigma Stop You Getting Help for Sexual Abuse
The cost of avoiding help due to stigma is far greater than any social cost of seeking it. Most people who seek support for sexual abuse report that the decision was one of the best they made.