Sally Baker was merely seven years old when she was sexually assaulted by two adolescent boys at a friend’s home. The repercussions of this assault have reverberated throughout her existence, disrupting her education, leading to unhealthy relationships, and necessitating decades of therapy to reclaim her self-esteem.
‘I harbored a thought since I was about 15: ‘Girl found deceased in a ditch,’’ Sally, now a senior therapist in her sixties, recounts to Metro. ‘You feel as if you have been placed on a path that can only culminate in death.’
‘I exited school with just two O levels; I didn’t attend university until my 40s. This led to a pattern of reckless sexual encounters, and at 16, I moved in with an older man who turned out to have predatory inclinations.’
An estimated 11 million individuals who have survived child sexual abuse (CSA) inhabit the UK, and the toll imposed on survivors by abusers extends far beyond emotional damage. The trauma can hinder a survivors’ ability to excel academically, professionally, and personally while obstructing the journey to recovery due to insufficient mental health services combined with financial instability.
A Home Office report revealed that the total lifetime cost to society and the survivors due to contact CSA for all identified abusers and survivors during the year ending 31 March 2019 amounted to £10.1 billion. This figure does not account for the massive expenses linked to non-contact CSA, such as child sexual abuse material.
‘The financial implications are catastrophic for survivors and their families, often perpetuating cycles of economic instability,’ states Gabrielle Shaw, chief executive of The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC), in conversation with Metro. ‘Survivors encounter considerable difficulties maintaining stable employment, with many experiencing diminished lifetime earnings and ongoing financial insecurity.’
When Sally first confided in her mother about the abuse as a child, she was instructed not to speak of it again. ‘I quickly internalized it as my fault and believed that it occurred because I did something wrong,’ she reflects.
Although her mother did confront the perpetrators, threatening them with police involvement if they approached the family again, Sally remained unaware of this until more than two decades later in a family gathering. Her mother’s decision to keep the confrontation private meant the Londoner endured the consequences of that trauma in solitude for many years.
‘It’s challenging to quantify the real cost to myself and the healthcare system. I saw one therapist weekly for ten years, which totaled about £20,000. I also sought therapy throughout my 20s, 30s, and 40s; the expenses likely exceed £100,000,’ Sally elaborates.
‘I also didn’t attend university until my 40s, which meant the entire course of my career was influenced by the abuse.
‘I find it incredibly frustrating to witness those awareness days occurring without any funding. I come across numerous childhood abuse survivors who cannot access any publicly funded healthcare because if they require services beyond cognitive behavioral therapy, there’s no financial backing available.’
Nadyne McKie, a psychotherapist with extensive expertise aiding victims of CSA, mentions that she has never treated a patient who was believed upon initial disclosure.
‘I remain astonished by the number of individuals who have confided in a parent or caregiver and been disbelieved or dismissed, which results in a profound betrayal of trust at such a tender age that they carry for the rest of their life,’ she shares with Metro.
While some children find comfort in escaping the reality of abuse at school, Nadyne clarifies that others do not achieve their potential, representing a lost opportunity that can cost survivors hundreds of thousands in earnings and prospects throughout a lifetime of healing.
Sophie Olson, founder and director of the non-profit Flying Child CIC, 47, endured sexual abuse by a family member from an early age. The disparate effects of that abuse are still acutely felt today.
‘It was largely concealed from everyone surrounding me; my signs of distress were overlooked and dismissed,’ Sophie reflects to Metro. ‘The trauma had a significant effect on my education. I was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome and missed a significant amount of school, though I eventually managed to enroll in university.’
However, the trauma became overwhelming when Sophie transitioned into further education, leaving the family home, where the abuse occurred, for the first time.
‘I struggled to get out of bed in the morning and missed the initial weeks, and when I sought assistance, I was denied any support,’ she recounts. ‘I was expelled from my program by my course leader, who told me that I was wasting a spot at the university and that, due to my laziness, I would never amount to anything in life.
‘I exited her office with this vision in my mind of taking…
off this vast cycle of existence while all my contemporaries were advancing forward.’
This ordeal severely undermined Sophie’s already fragile self-esteem, which eventually affected her job prospects. After becoming a young mother at 22, she felt too insecure to apply for a position at the nearby grocery store due to her lack of self-assurance.
‘I relied on long-term benefits; it’s a cycle that seems impossible to break,’ Sophie articulates. ‘In economic terms, I wasn’t earning, and I feared that would be a lifelong predicament, too.
‘It was easier for me to cling to the identity of poor mental health than to confront it, but in the long haul, it proved to be incredibly detrimental as it kept me trapped in a mindset that I would never be able to thrive.’
Eventually, Sophie was misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder after being inadequately shuffled between services when she initially sought help at 29.
Throughout the years, she was hospitalized in psychiatric wards on three occasions, including two rehabilitations.
‘I was informed that the issue originated from me, that I had a chemical imbalance in my brain, and that my coping mechanisms, such as self-harm, addiction, and eating disorders, were fundamentally flawed,’ Sophie recalls.
‘[Psychiatric wards] felt deeply harmful, and while that was not their intent, they indeed exacerbated the trauma. This occurs due to a significant absence of adequate training. In my situation, the average weekly cost for inpatient treatment was £5,000; I spent around six months as an inpatient, so the total is in the vicinity of £120,000.
‘When you factor in the expenses of outpatient aftercare and long-term community support that I was informed I wouldn’t survive without, the financial implications are staggering.
‘I’m a survivor of CSA, but that maltreatment doesn’t just cease when childhood is over; the ramifications persist indefinitely.’
Life coach Patience Chigodora, 32, found refuge in education from the sexual abuses she faced while residing in Zimbabwe until she turned 10. However, despite completing several degrees, the trauma heavily influenced her ability to express herself in professional settings.
‘In the workplace, a part of me was hesitant to voice my thoughts due to fears of not being heard again,’ Nottingham-based Patience confides to Metro. ‘I am innately ambitious, but this lingering trauma leads me to restrain myself when pursuing goals, worried about over-communicating and being dismissed.
‘Over the past decade, I have invested at least £35,000 into my healing journey, not including income lost from taking mental health days.’
To attain tranquility, like many survivors, Patience has poured significant funds into various healing practices, including reiki, yoga, and psychotherapy, yet her journey remains ongoing.
‘Even now, I continue to recondition, reparent, and retrain myself to articulate my feelings and communicate my needs.’
‘On one hand, I feel quite frustrated at the necessity to invest so heavily in my recovery, especially when I consider the total; that amounts to a yearly salary spent trying to mend a problem I didn’t create.
‘Conversely, the investment has been worthwhile, and continues to be, since I’m pursuing my healing, well-being, and peace of mind, and any expense for my self-improvement is justified.’
The actual financial repercussions of CSA on both survivors and society are incalculable, particularly on a global level, but statistics regarding its prevalence are unmistakable. It is estimated that one in four children will face sexual abuse before reaching 18—indicating significant efforts needed to shield survivors from the enduring emotional, physical, and financial consequences that arise.
‘Beyond the direct implications, CSA erodes trust, security, and connection within communities, further entrenching stigma against survivors,’ Nadyne emphasizes. ‘Combating CSA through education, therapeutic support, and legal measures is not only a moral obligation but also an economic imperative.’
At her non-profit organization, Sophie is dedicated to developing survivor-centric, trauma-informed educational programs aimed at enhancing prevention and treatment alternatives.
‘There exists a significant deficiency in CSA-specific training that must include the perspectives of survivors to eliminate common misconceptions. While no simple remedy exists for CSA, expenses can inevitably decrease if unnecessary medications and prolonged hospitalizations are minimized.
I lost almost 30 years of my adult working life due to the consequences of child sexual abuse.
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‘If even a fraction of the funding allocated to mental health pathways were redirected towards specialized education and resources for professionals who engage with survivors, the relentless cycle of diagnosis and psychiatric care could be circumvented for many, especially if those interventions are implemented early on.’
Meanwhile, NAPAC asserts that we must acknowledge CSA as a significant public health concern. This entails ‘addressing it with the same urgency and systemic coordination as other major public health challenges, including cancer or heart disease.’
Establishing safe environments for children to voice their experiences is equally vital. British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy member Dan Mills-Da’Bell has engaged extensively with survivors and prevention efforts, highlighting the significance of cultivating safe spaces for children’s voices to be acknowledged.
‘[Not being believed] hinders a child’s ability to process their experiences,’ he explains to Metro. ‘If there is no avenue for sharing, they may come to perceive their experience as ordinary.’
The paramount challenge remains dismantling the stigma surrounding childhood sexual abuse and confronting the ‘societal flinch,’ Sophie adds.
‘My life would’ve unfolded very differently had the abuse been identified, perhaps averted, at an earlier stage,’ she articulates. ‘I lost nearly 30 years of my adult working life due to the repercussions of CSA. Even with an average salary, this represents a substantial loss of earnings amounting to approximately £900,000.
‘Once I received appropriate support, I found a path forward, learning to navigate my trauma, and within five years I was employed full-time. Had I accessed this support much earlier in my life, it could have been achieved at a fraction of the emotional and financial expenditure.
‘Indeed, it makes us uneasy, but the only way to begin addressing this issue is through increased awareness, enhanced understanding, and open dialogue.’
For more information and assistance visit NAPAC here or contact 0808 801 0331
