43. Some victims and survivors described having had successful careers, despite the impact of being sexually abused as a child. Others felt that child sexual abuse had negatively affected their employment prospects. Eleven percent of Truth Project participants mentioned the impact that child sexual abuse had had on their employment. More male than female participants discussed an impact on employment (16 percent of males compared with 10 percent of females).

44. Seven percent of Truth Project participants reported a difficulty in maintaining work as a result of child sexual abuse. Four percent said that they were unable to work at all. Disrupted education often affected employment opportunities. LA-A7 explained this lifelong impact of child sexual abuse: “my education suffered and I didn’t get any qualifications. This then affected my life afterwards and being able to get employment”.^[1] One Truth Project participant described how the impact that child sexual abuse had had on his mental health had affected his employment:

“But the nightmares and the memories were never far away, and I would have to have a year, 18 months, 2 years off of work, had more counselling, a bit of medication, and wind myself down.”^[2]

Truth Project participant

45. A small number of victims and survivors said that they had a criminal record, which affected their employment prospects. Often this was linked to being sexually abused as a child. Nigel was regularly raped by a group of three adult men from the age of 10. At the time, in the 1960s, homosexual acts between men were illegal. At the age of 14 he was charged with buggery and was convicted. Many years later, the conviction still prevented Nigel from applying for jobs which require a criminal records check. Nigel said that he would like to do voluntary work in his retirement but has not applied for fear of what a records check would reveal.^[3]