One in Five Girls Globally Faces Sexual Violence Before Adulthood, Landmark Study Reveals
New Global Analysis Highlights Long-Term Health and Socioeconomic Toll of Childhood Sexual Abuse.
Watan-One in five women globally has experienced sexual violence before the age of 18, while one in seven men has also been subjected to it, according to a study published Thursday in The Lancet.
The statistics—compiled by researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation—highlight the widespread nature of sexual abuse and its devastating effects on health and life outcomes in adulthood.
The study estimated the number of people exposed to sexual violence during childhood or adolescence across 204 countries, using data from studies conducted by the World Health Organization and the United Nations in a much smaller subset of countries between 1990 and 2023.
Child Sexual Abuse Rates Remain Alarming Worldwide, With Stark Regional Disparities
Findings show that 18.9% of women and 14.8% of men globally experienced sexual violence before the age of 18. While these global estimates have remained largely unchanged since 1990, there are major regional and national variations.
In the U.S., 27.5% of women and 16.1% of men reported such experiences. The U.K. showed similar trends with 24.4% of women and 16.5% of men. In India, the figures rose to 30.8% for women—nearly one-third—and 13.5% for men.
In France, approximately one in four women (26%) were victims, compared to a 20.7% average across Western Europe, while 13.8% of men experienced abuse. Rates varied dramatically elsewhere: 6.9% of women in Montenegro, 42.6% in the Solomon Islands, 4.2% of men in Mongolia, and 28.3% in Côte d’Ivoire.
Researchers Urge Action on Underreported Child Sexual Abuse Crisis
Researchers warned that the true scale of childhood sexual abuse is likely underreported due to data scarcity and inconsistent definitions. They called for more accurate data collection to “focus prevention efforts.”
This issue is of critical importance to both public health and human rights. Researchers emphasized that such violence leads to “long-term and severe consequences,” including increased risks of depression, anxiety, substance abuse, chronic health issues, reduced educational attainment, and economic disadvantage.
They concluded, “Protecting children from violence and mitigating its lifelong impact is a moral imperative.” Notably, the first Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children was held in November 2024 in Bogotá, Colombia.
