--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...some adolescent survivors describe…" description: "\"“...some adolescent survivors describe feeling special, powerful, and sometimes entitled. This is especially true of those for whom excessive attention..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1d/christine-a-courtois-31916_adolescence_some-adolescent-survivors-describe-feeli_804567.jpg" --- # ...some adolescent survivors describe feeling special… ![“...some adolescent survivors describe feeling special, powerful, and sometimes entitled. This is especially true of those for whom excessive attention was part of the abuse relationship by virtue any power they held over the abuser or members of the family - especially their mothers in some cases…” quote by Christine A. Courtois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1d/christine-a-courtois-31916_adolescence_some-adolescent-survivors-describe-feeli_804567.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1d/christine-a-courtois-31916_adolescence_some-adolescent-survivors-describe-feeli_804567.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1d/christine-a-courtois-31916_adolescence_some-adolescent-survivors-describe-feeli_804567.jpg) > ““...some adolescent survivors describe feeling special, powerful, and sometimes entitled. This is especially true of those for whom excessive attention was part of the abuse relationship by virtue any power they held over the abuser or members of the family - especially their mothers in some cases of father-daughter incest - and of any affection or sexual pleasure they experienced. All of these feelings can coexist with self-loathing and shame or might alternate with them. Some victims experience this power as personally affirming, resulting in feelings of grandiosity, whereas others believe themselves to be malignantly powerful and defective. As children, these victims may have developed the belief that they could willfully manipulate others and "make or break" the family or their peer group (or the broader community setting) with their terrible powers or the secrets they hold. In adolescence these largely implicit ideas no longer manifest mainly or only as the egocentrism associated with early childhood. A more pervasive form of narcissistic entitlement and power and an apparently callous indifference to and contempt for others can lead to conduct disturbances and the victimization of others. Many individuals with apparent sociopathic tendencies and conduct disorders were victimized as children. Such individuals at some point had the capacity for respect, empathy, and genuine social responsibility that was lost and corrupted in the struggle to survive, to make sense of, and to remove themselves from the receiving end of victimization. Identification with the perpetrator and the victimization of others is specifically included as a core feature of complex PTSD.”” [Christine A. Courtois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-a-courtois/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Survivors of childhood abuse may feel both powerful and ashamed, leading to narcissistic entitlement and harmful behavior later in life. **In simple terms:** Abuse can create mixed feelings of power and shame, causing later aggression. Key Takeaway Recognize and address these conflicting emotions early. Themes trauma narcissism identity behavior empathy Mood conflicted somber reflective Type psychological clinical educational When to use this quote - therapy sessions - school counseling - family mediation - peer support groups Key Concepts complex PTSD power dynamics identity formation Questions to Reflect On - How do you differentiate genuine confidence from toxic entitlement? - What steps can help restore empathy in affected individuals? A Different Perspective These patterns may be reinforced by social environments that reward manipulative behavior. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adolescence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adolescence/) [Adolescent Survivors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adolescent-survivors-6152079/) [Childhood-abuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/childhood-abuse/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Complex-ptsd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complex-ptsd/) [Complex-trauma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complex-trauma/) [Developmental-trauma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/developmental-trauma-46145/) [Disorders Victimized](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disorders-victimized-6152080/) [Early childhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/early-childhood/) [Feeling special](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feeling-special/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Peer group](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peer-group/) [Perpetrator Victimization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perpetrator-victimization-6152081/) [Social responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-responsibility/) [Symptoms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/symptoms/) [Victimization Individuals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/victimization-individuals-6152078/) [Victims Experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/victims-experience-2191687/) [Youth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/youth/) ## Related quotes > [Years now, decades, of visiting my parents behind bars taught me hard lessons about how broken the criminal justice system is - about how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chesa-boudin/years-now-decades-of-visiting-my-parents-behind-bars-taught-me-hard/) [Chesa Boudin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chesa-boudin/) > [“Therapy must begin with empathy - not a patronizing sympathy, but instead one that is unflinching (Marotta, 2003). 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Courtois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-a-courtois/) > [“With regard to complex trauma survivors, self-determination and autonomy require that the therapist treat each client as the "authority" in determining the meaning and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-a-courtois/with-regard-to-complex-trauma-survivors-self-determination-and/) [Christine A. Courtois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-a-courtois/) > [“Thus polyvictimization or complex trauma are "developmentally adverse interpersonal traumas" (Ford, 2005) because they place the victim at risk not only for recurrent stress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-a-courtois/thus-polyvictimization-or-complex-trauma-are-developmentally-adverse/) [Christine A. Courtois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-a-courtois/) > [“Many survivors of relational and other forms of early life trauma are deeply troubled and often struggle with feelings of anger, grief, alienation, distrust,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-a-courtois/many-survivors-of-relational-and-other-forms-of-early-life-trauma-are/) [Christine A. Courtois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-a-courtois/) ## More by Christine A. Courtois > [“The overarching principle of a therapeutic relationship is that therapists should be ever mindful of a variant of the Hippocratic oath and, to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-a-courtois/the-overarching-principle-of-a-therapeutic-relationship-is-that/) [Christine A. 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Courtois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-a-courtois/) > [“... every therapist must develop enough personal maturity, clinical wisdom, and capacity for good judgment to effectively and safely conduct psychotherapy, an imperative that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-a-courtois/every-therapist-must-develop-enough-personal-maturity-clinical-wisdom/) [Christine A. Courtois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-a-courtois/) > [“Thus polyvictimization or complex trauma are "developmentally adverse interpersonal traumas" (Ford, 2005) because they place the victim at risk not only for recurrent stress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-a-courtois/thus-polyvictimization-or-complex-trauma-are-developmentally-adverse/) [Christine A. 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This is especially true of those for whom excessive attention was part of the abuse relationship by virtue any power they held over the abuser or members of the family - especially their mothers in some cases of father-daughter incest - and of any affection or sexual pleasure they experienced. All of these feelings can coexist with self-loathing and shame or might alternate with them. Some victims experience this power as personally affirming, resulting in feelings of grandiosity, whereas others believe themselves to be malignantly powerful and defective. As children, these victims may have developed the belief that they could willfully manipulate others and \"make or break\" the family or their peer group (or the broader community setting) with their terrible powers or the secrets they hold. In adolescence these largely implicit ideas no longer manifest mainly or only as the egocentrism associated with early childhood. 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