The international epidemiology of child sexual abuse

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Abstract

Surveys of child sexual abuse in large nonclinical populations of adults have been conducted in at least 19 countries in addition to the United States and Canada, including 10 national probability samples. All studies have found rates in line with comparable North American research, ranging from 7% to 36% for women and 3% to 29% for men. Most studies found females to be abused at 112 to 3 times the rate for males. Few comparisons among countries are possible because of methodological and definitional differences. However, they clearly confirm sexual abuse to be an international problem.

Resumen

Investigaciones sobre abuso sexual en la niñez han sido realizadas en poblaciones adultas no clínicas por lo menos en 16 paises además de los Estados Unidos y el Canada, incluyendo 10 muestras nacionales probabilisticas. Todos los estudios han encontrado tasas en sentido general comparables a la investigación Norteamericana, que va desde 7% a 33% para las mujeres y 3% al 15% para los hombres. La mayoría de los estodios encontró la proporción de mujeres a hombres de ser airededor de 1.53 a 1. Pocas comparaciones son posibles debido a diferencias metodológicas y de definiciones. Sin embargo, claramente confirman el abuso sexual como un problema internacional.

Résumé

French-language abstract unavailable at time of publication.

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  • Cited by (0)

    The author's research is supported in part by the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Center for Child Abuse and Neglect, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and the Boy Scouts of America.

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