Why do some adolescent girls who are the victim of sexual abuse become involved in criminal behaviour when others manage to lead a full life? Fabienne Glowacz, junior lecturer at the University of Liège, wanted to identify the factors that lead some on a particular path in life rather than another. Based on interviews with 23 girls who were the victims of sexual abuse, she was able to uncover several factors, including the importance of paternal support when the sexual abuse is revealed. An unknown parameter up until now.

One in five women. Someone you pass in the street, someone you know at work, someone at school... Statistically, in every group of five women, one of them will have been the victim of sexual abuse during their childhood.  From a single act of fondling to repeated rape. This average may well be chilling, but it was brought to light following several sociological studies and epidemiological surveys carried out in various countries. This work also showed that the majority of abusers were men and that in 80 % of cases, it was a member of the family or someone in the victim’s entourage. Father, stepfather, grandfather, parents’ friend, godfather, neighbour, etc.

While the so-called weaker sex does indeed seem more vulnerable, it is estimated than one in ten men has also been the victim of abuse during their childhood. This data seems to be stable rather than increasing.

This societal preoccupation can be credited with bringing into the open a subject that was taboo for a long time. Fabienne Glowacz, doctor in psychology and junior lecturer at ULg (Department of Psychology and Clinics of Human Systems), still remembers the comments made when she was carrying out the first study in Belgium on aid for persons and families faced with problems of incest in 1987. "That doesn’t exist here!" At the time, nobody dared to mention a subject that spared – or spares – no region or any level of the population.

Speaking out

Various organisations (medical, feminist, associations, etc.) have worked towards the recognition of intrafamily abuse and child abuse. And then there was the Dutroux case. This led to several social advances: recognition of the problem, evolution in the legal and judicial procedures, improvement in the care offered to victims by the police, creation of clinical and psychological aid systems for the victims and the abusers, etc. And, above all, getting people to speak out. Even if there is still a long way to go. “Despite everything that has been set up in terms of awareness-raising and prevention, children and adolescents, imprisoned in their relationship with the abuser, are deprived of their ability to speak, they’re afraid to speak out”, Fabienne Glowacz acknowledges. “A girl recently came to see me who was abused by her stepfather, and she said that for a long time, she thought it was normal, her stepfather had been telling her this for years, that this was how you loved you stepdaughter... The power of sexual abuse is based on words that create confusion in children; the power of abuse lies in the trap in which the child is caught, and the secret they are required to keep so that they won’t talk about it”, the psychologist explains.

One in five women. And how many ruined lives? Depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress are all frequent psycho-developmental disorders. As is aggressive behaviour, drug abuse and high-risk sexual behaviour. All paths that can lead to delinquency. Here too, the statistics are telling: between 30 and 70 % (the proportion varies depending on the studies) of delinquent adolescent girls were victims of sexual abuse in their childhood. Again, a prevalence rate that is higher than in boys.

Luckily, not all abused girls have psychological problems. Some of them (between 20 and 40 % of them according to the studies) succeed in leading a full life despite their ordeal. They are the ones known as “resilient”. But what is this resilience based on?