The prevalence of unwanted and unlawful sexual experiences reported by Danish adolescents: Results from a national youth survey in 2002

Helweg‐Larsen, Karin; Larsen, Helmer Bøving

doi:10.1080/08035250600589033

Cited by 29 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…This said, the high prevalence of CSA should be interpreted within the context of our definition of CSA, because the most commonly reported form was CSA without physical contact, whereas CSA with penetration was least common, reported by only 2.5% of girls and 0.6% of boys. These findings are consistent with literature reports that CSA is two to four times more prevalent among girls [1,13,19]. Child sexual abuse without physical contact happened most frequently at home or in cyberspace, and perpetrators were most often strangers.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

“…Surprisingly, one half to three quarters of victims reported that they had been molested by juveniles, and only 0% -10.7% of victims reported family members as perpetrators, depending on the type of CSA and the victim's gender. Consistent with previous literature [13,19,24]., predictors of CSA were being female, not living with both biological parents, and having parents with a lower education level or of non-Swiss nationality.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 79%

“…The rates of disclosure found in our study were especially low relative to previous population-based studies involving the same age group, including studies in Denmark (83%) [13], Sweden (81% in girls and 69% in boys) [29], and Geneva (74% in girls and 51% in boys) [19]. Our low disclosure rates could indicate a decrease in disclosures among adolescents over time.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 50%

“…To address this, we used a computer-assisted questionnaire to increase confidentiality and accuracy [13] and checked data for internal and external consistency, which resulted in 39 questionnaires being excluded. Another limitation relates to our inability to provide age-specific estimates, because of the diverse education system in Switzerland, including the age of beginning school and policies regarding skipping grades.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The wide range of CSA prevalence could be attributed to several methodological issues that include different definitions of CSA, measurement issues, and geographic and sample characteristics [1,2,4,10,11].There is no consensus among researchers as to what defines CSA. Some use the age difference between the perpetrator and victim, whereas others set specific age cutoffs for victims [11][12][13][14]. Still others only consider abuse that involves actual physical contact, and others incorporate a broader range, from noncontact abuse through penetration [11].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Child Sexual Abuse Revisited: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study Among Swiss Adolescents

Mohler‐Kuo¹,

Landolt²,

Maier³

et al. 2014

Journal of Adolescent Health

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Purpose: Child sexual abuse (CSA) is one of the most serious public health problems among children and adolescents, owing to its widespread prevalence and serious health consequences. The present study aimed to assess the prevalence of, and characteristics and circumstances associated with, CSA. Methods: An epidemiological survey was conducted on a nationally representative sample of 6,787 ninthgrade students (15.5 ± .66 years of age) in Switzerland. Self-reported computer-assisted questionnaires were administered between September 2009 and May 2010. Various forms of sexual victimization were assessed using the newly developed Child Sexual Abuse Questionnaire. Results: Overall, 40.2% and 17.2% of girls and boys, respectively, reported having experienced at least one type of CSA event. Lifetime prevalence rates were 35.1% and 14.9%, respectively, for CSA without physical contact, 14.9% and 4.8% for CSA with physical contact without penetration, and 2.5% and .6% for CSA with penetration among girls and boys. The most frequently experienced event was sexual harassment via the Internet. More than half of female victims and more than 70% of male victims reported having been abused by juvenile perpetrators. Depending on the specific event, only 44.4%-58.4% of female victims and 5.8%-38% of male victims disclosed CSA, mostly to peers. Conclusions: The present study confirms the widespread prevalence of CSA. The high prevalence of CSA via the Internet and the frequent reports of juvenile perpetrators suggest emerging trends in CSA. Low disclosure rates, especially among male victims, and reluctance to disclose events to family members and officials may impede timely intervention. AbstractPurpose: Child sexual abuse (CSA) is one of the most serious public health problems among children and adolescents, due to its widespread prevalence and serious health consequences.The present study aimed to assess the prevalence of, and characteristics and circumstances associated with CSA.Methods: An epidemiological survey was conducted on a nationally-representative sample of 6787 9 th grade students (15.5 ± 0.66 years old) in Switzerland. Self-reported computerassisted questionnaires were administered between September 2009 and May 2010. Various forms of sexual victimization were assessed using the newly-developed Child Sexual Abuse Questionnaire (CSAQ).Results: Overall, 40.2% and 17.2% of girls and boys reported having experienced at least one type of CSA event, respectively. Lifetime prevalence rates were 35.1% and 14.9% for 'CSA without physical contact'; 14.9% and 4.8% for 'CSA with physical contact without penetration'; and 2.5% and 0.6% for 'CSA with penetration' among girls and boys, respectively. The most frequently-experienced event was 'sexual harassment via the internet'.More than half of female victims and more than 70% of male victims reported having been abused by juvenile perpetrators. Depending on the specific event, only 44.4%-58.4% of female victims and 5.8%-38% of male victims disclosed CSA, mostly to p...

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 79%

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 50%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Child Sexual Abuse Revisited: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study Among Swiss Adolescents

Mohler‐Kuo¹,

Landolt²,

Maier³

et al. 2014

Journal of Adolescent Health

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Prevalence of Intrafamilial Child Maltreatment in the Nordic countries: A Review

et al. 2014

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There are differences in the prevalence rates of child maltreatment between countries, as well as variation in how these rates change over time. This review examined the prevalence of different forms of intrafamilial child maltreatment in the Nordic countries and possible changes in the prevalence rates over the past two decades. We conducted a systematic search of the databases PsycInfo, ISI Web of Science and PubMed and of self-report studies investigating the prevalence of one or several forms of child maltreatment in non-clinical samples published from 1990 to the present. In addition, we searched for unpublished reports. A total of 24 Nordic studies were included. The findings suggest a prevalence of child sexual abuse by a parent in the range of 0.2-1.2 per cent, a prevalence of severe physical abuse in the range of three to nine per cent and a prevalence of witnessing domestic violence in the range of seven to 12, 5 per cent in the Nordic countries. Markedly more girls than boys were exposed to sexual abuse. The results indicate a decline in the prevalence of sexual abuse by a relative and of parental physical abuse over the past 20 years, but no corresponding changes in the prevalence of witnessing domestic violence. There is a lack of studies on the prevalence of neglect and emotional maltreatment. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. KEY PRACTITIONER MESSAGES:• Knowledge of intrafamilial child abuse and witnessing domestic violence in the Nordic countries is expanded.• Prevalence studies not published in the international scientific literature are included. Time trends in prevalence rates are shown.• Differences between Nordic prevalence rates and the rates found in high-income countries as a whole are explored and discussed.• Attention is drawn to the influence of contextual factors on the prevalence of child maltreatment.

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Disclosure of Child Physical Abuse and Perceived Adult Support among Swedish Adolescents

et al. 2017

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Compared to child sexual abuse (CSA), little is known about disclosure of child physical abuse (CPA). Enhancing the understanding of the characteristics of disclosure is necessary for improved child protection. The aim of the present study was to examine disclosure of CPA and perceived adult support using both quantitative and qualitative data from a survey of child maltreatment carried out among a nationally representative sample of Swedish adolescents (n = 3202). We found that adolescents who experienced any child maltreatment (CPA, emotional abuse, neglect and witnessing intimate partner violence) were less likely to be able to identify an adult confidant compared to those without a history of abuse. Among the adolescents who reported severe CPA, 52 per cent had disclosed the abuse and the most frequent recipient of disclosure was a peer or sibling. Eleven per cent had disclosed to professionals within school, child protective services or law enforcement. Lack of trust in adults appeared to be the most prominent reason for non‐disclosure. Several adolescents who had disclosed abuse to professionals perceived an ineffective response, primarily because of professionals' lack of a child perspective. Some respondents experienced supportive interventions, specifically from school social workers. These patterns showed close similarity to disclosure of CSA. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Key Practitioner Messages Many adolescents have experienced CPA and few seek the attention of professionals. Adolescents who have experienced any child maltreatment tend to lack trust in adults. Peers have a key role to play in facilitating early disclosure of abuse. Professionals need to address the perception among adolescents who have experienced child maltreatment that child protection systems are not child centred. Hands‐on, community‐based interventions that engage peers, parents and professionals are needed in order to address the under-reporting of CPA.

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The prevalence of unwanted and unlawful sexual experiences reported by Danish adolescents: Results from a national youth survey in 2002

Cited by 29 publications

References 30 publications

Child Sexual Abuse Revisited: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study Among Swiss Adolescents

Child Sexual Abuse Revisited: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study Among Swiss Adolescents

Prevalence of Intrafamilial Child Maltreatment in the Nordic countries: A Review

Disclosure of Child Physical Abuse and Perceived Adult Support among Swedish Adolescents

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