Childhood Abuse and Self-Blame

It was not your fault

Self-doubt and self-blame consume many who were victims of childhood abuse. Experiencing childhood trauma leaves the child and later the adult suffering from a lack of self-esteem plus a load of guilt and shame.

In this article, we shall explore how survivors blame themselves for what happened to them and a few suggestions to overcome the shame that inhibits them.

Blaming the Victim for the Crime

In our society today, and in many years past, it hasn’t been unusual for the victim of a crime not to be believed or even blamed for what happened to them. One example might be when a woman is raped; the insult is that people question how she was dressed or where she was when the crime took place. Some blame the woman for not being dressed correctly or that she shouldn’t have made herself available for the man to harm her. Never mind that it is a dire crime to rape someone.

While society, mostly, does not excuse child abuse, it belittles the horrific experiences of those who lived through it by stating the victim should move on and forget what happened to them.

It is easy to see how survivors can feel they aren’t enough and blame themselves for what happened to them when they were victims of the most heinous crimes one human can perpetrate against another.

It is crucial to keep in mind that children are helpless to defend themselves against a perpetrating adult, especially one…