Title: 10 Reasons the Cycle of Sexual Abuse Continues
Headings: The Cycle of Sexual Abuse and Abusive Adult Relationships
The Cycle of Sexual Abuse and Abusive Adult Relationships
Why Sexually Abused Children Grow Up to Have Abusive Relationships
It Feels Familiar
It Is an Attempt to Heal
They Feel Inadequate
They Feel Grandiose
It is a Search for Power and Control
They May Be Sexually Aroused by Abusive Behavior
They Feel Very Angry
They May Try to Hurt Others Before Being Hurt
They are Searching for Intensity
Living a Fantasy Feels Safer Than Reality

Content: Unfortunately, this is not effective, and they may repeatedly dominate others in a futile attempt to get over the weakness they experienced as a victim. 6
They May Be Sexually Aroused by Abusive Behavior
Sexual arousal is a normal human experience, and is often a normal response to sexual contact. In some cases, if early sexual experiences involved abuse, victims may become sexually aroused by abusive behavior. This does not mean they want or wanted to be abused, or that they genuinely enjoy abuse, and not all victims of abuse experience this. 7
They Feel Very Angry
People who have been abused carry a lot of anger about what happened to them and abuse can be a way to express that anger. Even if they have pushed the anger out of their conscious awareness, it can come out in subtle or not-so-subtle ways in intimate relationships or parenting style. 8
They May Try to Hurt Others Before Being Hurt
If abuse and hurt feels inevitable, people who have been abused may view sexual relationships as predatory and try to "kill before being killed." 9
They are Searching for Intensity
When children are traumatized through sexual abuse, they may associate or confuse intensity with pleasure. They may be attracted to abusive individuals and high-risk activities in order to feel pleasure, as they need the rush of danger in order to feel aroused or to experience orgasm. 10
Living a Fantasy Feels Safer Than Reality
Because abuse is so painful, people who have been abused may cope by retreating into a fantasy world.