Multitudes of Underage Children Suffer from Sexual Abuse
In contemporary Germany, the alarming reality is that millions of individuals have experienced sexual violence during their formative years. A groundbreaking study reveals that around 12.7% of the populace aged 18 to 59 have been victims of such heinous acts – equating to approximately 5.7 million individuals[1]. The magnitude of this issue is staggering, according to psychiatrist and study author Harald Dressing, who labelled it as "shockingly large"[1].
Surprisingly, this study is the first to shed light on the extent and patterns of such disturbing acts beyond the Catholic and Protestant churches, where revelations of abuse have been surfacing[1]. The study diabetes a "significant dark field" of such abhorrent acts across the nation as a whole[1].
The survey questioned people regarding acts committed against those under 14 and against those under 18 without their consent, covering topics such as harassment, coercion, and online approaches for future offenses[1].
The victim rate was disproportionately high for women at nearly 21%, while it stood at 5% for men[1]. Dressing emphasized that the landscape of such crimes is incredibly diverse[1]. Females were more likely to be targeted within their family and friendship circles, with roughly one-third of instances taking place within these contexts[1]. In contrast, males more frequently experienced sexual violence in sports and recreational facilities, churches, and the context of child, youth, and family aid[1]. Through the internet and social media, about 32% of the surveyed individuals have already been subjected to sexual violence[1].
An overwhelming 95% of the perpetrators are male[1]. Strikingly, over 37% of the victims had yet to report the incident to anyone[1].
The findings of this study underscore the urgent need for further research into the specific contexts and risk factors of sexual violence in various settings to enable the development of targeted prevention and support services[1][5]. The persistence of similar prevalence rates over time and across regions suggests that while institutional change is crucial, broader cultural and systemic transformation is also necessary[3].
- Despite the focus on religious institutions, the recent study on sexual violence in Germany reveals a widespread occurrence in areas beyond sports, health-and-wellness, mental-health, politics, general-news, and crime-and-justice.
- The study highlights a disproportionate victim rate of nearly 21% for women in the realm of sexual violence, while men stand at 5%, with instances primarily occurring within family, friendship circles for females, and sports, recreational facilities, churches, and child, youth, and family aid for males.
- Shockingly, the study shows that over 37% of the victims have yet to report their experiences with sexual violence, while an overwhelming 95% of the perpetrators are male.
- In order to tackle this persistent issue, it is crucial to conduct further research into the specific contexts and risk factors of sexual violence in various settings to provide targeted prevention and support services, suggesting that both institutional change and broader cultural and systemic transformation are essential.
