AboutLucille Zimmerman Expertise I can answer questions related to childhood sexual abuse, specifically the ways it negatively
impacts a person emotionally.
Experience For two years I have led a weekly support group for adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse.
Organizations American Association of Christian Counseling, American Psychological Association, EMDRIA
Publications Several newspaper articles. I am now working on a book with an agent.
Education/Credentials Master of Arts in Counseling
Awards and Honors Maintained a 3.95 GPA in graduate school
Past/Present Clients I have worked with clients who have Dissociative Identity Disorder (previously called multiple personality disorder) due to post-traumatic stress surrounding childhood sexual abuse. I have spent lots of time with this type of clientele
i am now a 15 year old girl, and some things happened when i was younger and i am unsure what to call it.
when i was about 8 my cousin was 13 and he used to sleep over when he came to visit.
when we slept together he would tell me about his penis and tell me to touch it or smell it. he also would tell me how it would get hard and would tell me to hump things. he would ask me things like what it was like to have a vagina and talk to me about sexual things at a very young age.
i was so young that i didn't realize it was wrong and didn't tell him to stop, is this my fault? was he right, and just curious and wanted to try these thhings out on me? did he do anything wrong?
what is this called? what did he do to me?
Answer It can be confusing at times to know the difference between abuse and normal sexual play and curiosity.
There is not a rigid standard and it varies with age.
Mainly, people consider the age difference and power differential.
The fact that your cousin was 13 and you were eight causes me to think he took advantage of you. He would have had more knowledge of right and wrong. You were most likely much smaller, more intimidated, and less knowledgeable.
