More than 370 million girls and women alive today – one in eight – have been sexually assaulted or raped before the age of 18. UNICEF: One in eight women worldwide experienced childhood sexual abuse Human Rights
The first-ever estimate of the scale of childhood sexual violence shows the widespread and devastating impact it has on children. More than 370 million girls and women alive today – one in eight – have been sexually assaulted or raped before the age of 18, according to UNICEF analysis released Thursday.
When “non-contact” forms of sexual violence, such as online harassment or verbal abuse, are included, the number of girls and women affected rises to 650 million worldwide, meaning at least one in five women has experienced it.
A stain on the collective conscience
“Sexual violence against children is a stain on our collective moral conscience,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “It causes deep, lasting trauma, often at the hands of someone the child knows and trusts, and in places where they should feel safe.”
Sexual violence knows no boundaries
The findings of the study show that sexual violence against children easily crosses geographical, cultural and economic boundaries. Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest number of victims, with 79 million girls and women affected (22 percent), followed by 75 million in East and South-East Asia (eight percent), 73 million in Central and South Asia (nine percent), 68 million in Europe and North America (14 percent), and 45 million in Latin America and the Caribbean (18 percent). 29 million were affected in Northern Africa and Western Asia (15 percent) and six million in Oceania (34 percent).
Risk factors
In fragile contexts, such as those without effective government institutions and civil society structures, and in situations where there are large numbers of refugees fleeing armed conflict or political crises, girls face an even greater risk – one in four girls are affected.
“Children in fragile contexts are particularly vulnerable to sexual violence,” Russell says. “We see horrific incidents of this kind in conflict zones, where rape and gender-based violence are often used as a tool of war.”
According to the data obtained, the majority of childhood sexual abuse occurs during adolescence, with the peak being between the ages of 14 and 17. Research shows that children who have been sexually abused once are more likely to suffer repeated incidents later in life. Targeted intervention by government institutions or law enforcement agencies is critical to breaking the cycle and mitigating the long-term effects of such trauma.
Trauma that Lasts a Lifetime
Survivors often carry the trauma of sexual abuse into adulthood, facing higher risks of sexually transmitted diseases, substance abuse, social isolation, and mental health problems, as well as barriers to forming healthy family relationships. These impacts are further exacerbated when children refuse or are unable to talk about their negative experiences.
Boys and men also suffer from gender-based and sexual violence, the analysis found. An estimated 240 million to 310 million boys and men – about one in 11 – were raped or sexually harassed as children. This figure rises to 410 million to 530 million if non-contact forms are included.