Over the past year, worldwide, three girls and two boys experienced sexual violence every second, according to Together for Girls, "a global partnership working to end violence against children and adolescents."
The organization's research on global child sexual violence (CSV) included data on 2.4 billion children in 193 countries. The organization found that 82 million girls and 69 million boys had experienced some form of CSV during the previous 12 months.
The organization released "Break the Record," a book "to measure and understand childhood sexual violence and offer a practical framework to end it." According to UNICEF's first global and regional estimates of CSV, which are included in the book, one in five girls and one in seven boys will experience CSV before they turn 18.
The book also includes data from Childlight: Global Child Safety Institute at the University of Edinburgh showing that more than 300 million children were "affected by online child and sexual exploitation and abuse in the last 12 months." This includes one in eight children who were subjected to online solicitation and one in eight children who heard about or were exposed to sexual images and videos.
The book is part of the organization's "Break the Record" campaign to receive "a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for the most countries represented at a childhood violence summit." The Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children took place in Bogotá, Colombia in November 2024.
According to the CEO of Together for Girls, the "lack of global measurement" is a key facilitator of CSV.
The World Health Organization (WHO), Georgia State University, China Agricultural University, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and University of Edinburgh assisted in compiling the data. "Every second this past year 3 girls and 2 boys experienced child sexual violence" globalnewswire.com (Oct. 30, 2024).
Commentary
In approximately 88 percent of reported and substantiated cases, the perpetrator of child sexual abuse in the U.S. was male. In 93 percent of the cases, the victim knew the perpetrator. Fifty-nine percent of the abusers were acquaintances of the victim, while 34 percent of the abusers were family members. Only seven percent of the perpetrators were strangers to the victim. "Children and Teens: Statistics" rainn.org. https://rainn.org/articles/child-sexual-abuse
Child sexual abuse can lead to long-lasting, serious consequences for the victims. Children who experience sexual abuse are approximately four times more likely to abuse drugs; four times more likely to experience PTSD in adulthood; and three times more likely to have a major depressive episode in adulthood, according to RAINN.
Safe adults who are aware of the high risk of child sexual abuse can help protect children.
Be vigilant.
Interrupt behaviors that violate boundaries.
Immediately report suspected child sexual abuse to law enforcement or child protective services, including when the suspected abuser is an acquaintance or family member of the child. Do not assume that someone is safe simply because they are known to the child.
