Sexually abused adolescent: conceptualization of sexual trauma and nursing interventions

1. Many adolescent victims of sexual abuse display symptoms that reflect alterations in individual coping and thought processes, social isolation and impaired verbal communication, and alterations in spiritual well-being. 2. Nursing interventions based on a multidimensional model of sexual trauma focus on helping the adolescent learn to plan and carry out activities within a safe environment to improve a sense of self, improve interpersonal relationships, and decrease spiritual isolation and hopelessness. 3. Nursing interventions are designed to assist the adolescent to integrate past experiences, including memories and feelings, with current decisions to engage in self-protective and health-promoting behaviors.