There’s no one right answer to this, Jessica.

There’s no one right answer to this, Jessica. What we do know, from the FGDS (the study I mentioned in this article) and the ACE Study, is that chronic stress in children can change how the brain develops but also how it works. Areas of the brain that can be affected are the nucleus accombans (the pleasure/reward part) and the amygdala (the “lizard brain”, our fear response) are affected. The prefrontal cortex (in charge of impulse control, decision making) is also impacted. This science underscores what I hear from the survivors I talk to when we discuss their own trauma. Challenges in knowing who safe people are, who to trust, how to trust are all common themes. Every childhood sexual abuse survivor I have ever met — and I have talked to hundreds over the course of my career — has disclosed repeat victimization. Thanks for asking.