Prevalence of Child Sexual Abuse in Spain: A Representative Sample Study

Abstract

The prevalence of child sexual abuse (CSA) is difficult to assess, and rates vary widely across studies due to methodological and sample differences. In Spain, prevalence data from representative samples are lacking. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of different CSA experiences in a sample that was representative of the Spanish population in terms of gender, age, and region. The sample comprised 1,071 (539 male and 532 female) Spanish adults ( Mage = 45.37; SD = 14.84). Participants completed an anonymous online survey about different types of CSA and were asked whether they had disclosed the experience at the time. Prevalence was analyzed as a function of gender and generation. Results indicated prevalence rates ranging from 2.8% to 18.5%, depending on the type of experience. The most common experience suffered during childhood was being shown pornographic material, while that with the lowest prevalence was being forced to perform a sexual act involving penetration. Prevalence was higher in females than males for eight of the ten experiences considered. Young adults from Generation Z were the most likely to report having suffered three of the CSA experiences, two of them related to technology. Only 27.5% of respondents said that they had told someone about the abuse at the time, mainly their mother (more common among females) or a friend/peer (more frequent among males). The results suggest that CSA is prevalent in Spain, with considerable rates for several types of abusive experience, especially among females and the youngest generation. The implications of the results are discussed. The findings may inform social policy and the development of effective prevention programs.

Prevalence and Factors Associated with Sexual Violence against Children in a Brazilian State

“…When we talk about sexual violence, the main offenders are men, as indicated in this and other studies [ 25 , 35 , 38 ], demonstrating once again the gender inequalities and generational hierarchy existing in Brazilian society. The offenders, in turn, claim to be “seduced” by the child, in an attempt to justify an unjustifiable act, which another demonstration of power exercised by men [ 39 ].…”

Types of Male Adolescent Violence Against Women in Three Contexts: Dating Violence Offline, Dating Violence Online, and Sexual Harassment Online Outside a Relationship

“…As Calvete et al (2021) suggest, adolescents who carry out sexual harassment online may have learned to normalizing these behaviors by online interaction with strangers who perpetrate sexual solicitations as part of their persuasion strategy, justifying and portraying online sexual behaviors as natural. The results of the study carried out in Spain by Ferragut et al (2021) on child sexual abuse remembered by adults aged 18-74 reflect a high prevalence (24.5%) of exposure to pornographic material by adults during male childhood, higher than that observed among women (12.4%), results that help explain a greater tendency toward normalization of these behaviors among boys, as also found in Calvete et al (2021). Therefore, programs aimed at adolescents to prevent violence against women need to include activities that foster the rejection of behaviors that lead to sexual harassment online, inculcating the idea that it can seriously damage the women subjected to this type of conduct.…”

“…One of the most significant studies on the prevalence of these behaviors in the European Union found that 11% of women older than 15 had been exposed to such problem; this was reported by double the figure of those aged 15–29 than in the 40–49 age group, and three times more than those aged 50–59 ( FRA, 2014 ). The results of the study carried out in Spain on the generational differences in child sexual abuse remembered by adults aged 18–74 ( Ferragut et al, 2021 ) reflect that while most forms of such abuse have decreased in the younger generation (18–24 years old), exposure to pornographic material and solicitations of personal photographs or videos of sexual content have increased, probably because they are exerted through the various digital devices that this generation uses much more frequently than the previous ones.…”

What are practitioners' views of how digital health interventions may play a role in online child sexual abuse service delivery?

“…Such broad definitions mean that there is a lack of consensus about which activities comprise online sexual exploitation and sexual abuse and how they are measured. Online child sexual abuse (OCSA) is a significant problem in terms of its prevalence and impact ( 8 ), with a recent nationally representative study from the US with 2,639 young adults aged 18–28 indicating prevalence rates of 15.6%. Prevalence rates varied across difference presentations of OCSA; image-based sexual abuse, 11.0%; self-produced CSA images, 7.2%; non-consensual sexting, 7.2%; online grooming by adults, 5.4%; revenge pornography, 3.1%; sextortion, 3.5%; and online commercial sexual exploitation, 1.7%.…”