New Delhi: Nearly one out of five women and one out of seven men aged 20, and older globally experienced sexual violence by age 15 or even younger, according to a study published in the journal The Lancet on Thursday.
The research from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, US, showed that 67 per cent of females and 72 per cent of males reported being first sexually abused during childhood, before the age of 18.
Almost 42 per cent of females and approximately 48 per cent of males said their first sexual violence incident occurred before the age of 16. Alarmingly, 8 per cent of female survivors and 14 per cent of male survivors reported being first exposed to sexual violence before 12.
“Sexual violence against children is a widespread human rights and public health issue, and the world is clearly failing to end it,” said senior author Dr. Emmanuela Gakidou, Professor at IHME.
“The proportion of survivors facing sexual abuse at such a young age is deeply concerning, and we need urgent action from all countries to improve laws, policies, and the ways experts respond,” Gakidou said.
The analysis is based on the newest Global Burden of Disease research covering 204 locations by age and sex from 1990 to 2023, while accounting for when people were first exposed to such violence.
“Survivors of sexual violence against children have a higher risk of developing depression, anxiety, substance abuse, sexually transmitted infections, and even asthma. Sexual violence against children (SVAC) can also impact their social development, educational outcome, and economic achievement, underscoring the urgent need for effective prevention measures and responsive support systems to mitigate these lifelong consequences,” said Dr. Luisa Flor, Assistant Professor at IHME.
The study also exposed critical gaps in data collection and inconsistencies in measurement, emphasising the urgent need for expanded surveillance programmes, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
Establishing standardised best practices for tracking sexual violence against children can help experts identify the barriers to disclosure, reporting, and care and create better child protection policies.
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