[24] IMPACT OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE ON SELF-ESTEEM AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
ARTICLE INFO: Date of Submission: Mar 30, 2026, Revised: Apr 12, 2026, Accepted: Apr 15, 2026, CrossRef d.o.i : https://doi.org/10.56815/ijmrr.v5i4.2026.295-304. How to Cite the Article: Samuel George & Kumaraswamy H (2026). Impact of child sexual abuse on self-esteem among university students. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research & Reviews. 5(4). 295-304.
Abstract
Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) is a growing concern in our society; yet, while the number of documented incidents of child sexual abuse is distressing, these startling data do not represent the full number of child sexual victimisations. The present study attempts to explore the prevalence of childhood sexually abusive events among university students. The present study aims to examine the occurrence of child sexual abuse and its impact on self-esteem among university students. Ex-post-facto, the cross-sectional research design was used to collect and analyse the data for the present study. Participants (N=150) were chosen randomly from various colleges throughout Kerala. A personal data sheet, the Early Sexual Experiences Checklist, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale were used to collect data. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to analyse data. Of the participants, 31.3% indicated that they had been exposed to some form of child sexual abuse before the age of 16 years. It was found that more female N=31 (41.3%) than male N = 16 (21.3%) students reported being exposed to CSA. It was found that male students who were victims of child sexual abuse had high self-esteem; on the other hand, females who were victims of child sexual abuse had low self-esteem. The results would indicate that child sexual abuse has a significant impact on self-esteem, and that sexually abused female students displayed lower self-esteem than female students who were not victims of child sexual abuse.
