Overview

• The study, covering 1990–2023, confirms global prevalence of child sexual violence remains unchanged, affecting 18.9% of girls and 14.8% of boys before adulthood.
• South Asia reports the highest rates among girls (26.8%), while sub-Saharan Africa leads for boys (18.6%), with country-specific extremes in the Solomon Islands (42.6%) and Côte d’Ivoire (28.8%).
• Nearly 70% of survivors first experienced abuse before age 18, with alarming proportions exposed before age 16 (around 45%) and even before age 12 (8–14%).
• Researchers emphasize that data limitations, including underreporting and inconsistent definitions, likely underestimate the true scale of the crisis.
• The findings highlight an urgent need for standardized data collection, targeted prevention strategies, and survivor-focused support systems worldwide.