Sexual abuse can also lead to changes in behavior. Some of these behavioral signs, says Linda Cain, are bedwetting, difficulty at bath time, changes in sleeping habits, and nightmares. Many long-term effects of sexual abuse are noticeable among victims of sexual abuse. Sexual abuse victims are uncomfortable with the idea of sex says psychologist Ignacio R. Medina Cisterna. The women cannot send a child places where they cannot take care of the child.
Guilt is another long-term effect of sexual abuse.
Most women that have been sexually abused feel that it is somehow their fault says Cisterna. These women tend to take the blame for actions because they feel that they could have asked for help. In Stones From the River , all three characters who are sexually abused show some of the symptoms of a typical victim. Hedwig Weiler shows the difficulty in relationships that we see in victims. She has hard times in her relationship with her husband, Franz, and with her son Georg.