BERLIN (DPA, CONVERSEER) – More than one in five women in Germany experienced sexual violence as children, a study reported on Monday.
The extent of the offences is “alarmingly high,” said Harald Dressing, a psychiatrist who authored the study for the Central Institute of Mental Health.
Around 20.6% of women aged 18 to 59 are estimated to have been victims of sexual abuse before turning 18, based on a survey, compared to 4.8% of men. Up to 95% of perpetrators are men.
According to the study’s authors, sexual violence covers behaviour with and without physical contact, such as sexual harassment, coercion and penetration. It also encompasses internet grooming.
In total, some 5.7 million people are said to have suffered sexual violence as children, representing 12.7% of the population, the study found.
The average age of victims was 11.2 years old, with around half experiencing sexual violence on multiple occasions.
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Dressing is known for researching sexual abuse in the Catholic and Protestant churches, but the author said that violence is rife across varying environments in Germany.
In around a third of cases, girls reported suffering abuse from family members or friends.
In contrast, boys were more likely to be targeted in sport clubs, youth groups or religious contexts.
“Sexual offences happen everywhere where children and parents should be able to expect a safe space for children,” Dressing noted.
The effects can be devastating, he warned. “When a child becomes a victim of sexual violence, it is a serious trauma. It can destroy a life.”
More than a third of respondents in the study said they had never previously disclosed the abuse, while only 7% said they had filed charges against their perpetrators.