Fifth of girls and one in seven boys sexually assaulted globally, says study

Telegraph

07-05-2025

At least one in five girls and one in seven boys have been sexually assaulted globally, a new study has found.
The research, published today in the Lancet, analysed data from all countries across the world – and found more than half of all people who have experienced sexual violence did so before the age of 18.
The researchers from the University of Washington defined sexual violence as 'having ever experienced intercourse or other sexual violence (i.e. fondling and other sexual touching) before the age of 18 years, in which the contact was unwanted (physically forced or coerced).'
While other studies, including a report published by UNICEF last year, have presented similar estimates for rates of sexual violence against children, this is the first time the data has been aggregated by country, the authors said.
The South Asia region – which includes India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh – recorded the highest rates of childhood sexual violence against girls overall, with approximately 26.8 per cent affected.
For boys, sub-Saharan Africa had the highest prevalence, with 18.6 per cent experiencing at least one form of sexual abuse before reaching adulthood.
On a country-specific level, Côte d'Ivoire in West Africa had the highest rates of sexual violence against boys, with an estimated 28.8 per cent affected during childhood. Among girls, the Solomon Islands reported the highest prevalence, with 42.6 per cent estimated to have experienced sexual violence as children.
However, the study found that the prevalence of sexual violence against children to be 'extremely high' regardless of region or economic status.
For example, at least 30 per cent of girls in the Netherlands, 29 per cent in New Zealand, and 24 per cent in the UK experienced at least one form of sexual abuse during childhood, according to the study.
The authors collated their research from the Global Health Data Exchange, the World Health Organization's (WHO) database that catalogues all health and demographic surveys, censuses, disease registries, surveillance systems, and scientific publications from all countries across the world.
'The prevalence of sexual violence is extremely high for both females and males across the globe. Given data sparsity and ongoing measurement challenges, findings probably underestimate the true pervasiveness of sexual violence,' the authors said.
'An overwhelmingly high proportion of survivors first experienced sexual violence during childhood, revealing a narrow yet sensitive window that should be targeted in future prevention efforts. It is a moral imperative to protect children from violence and mitigate its compounding impacts on health across the life course,' they added.