Citation

Kloppen K, Haugland S, Svedin CG, Mæhle M, Breivik K. J. Child Sex. Abus. 2016; 25(1): 37-55.

Affiliation

Regional Centre for Child and Youth Mental Health and Child Welfare, Uni Research Health , Bergen , Norway.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/10538712.2015.1108944

PMID

26809050

Abstract

This review examined child sexual abuse in the Nordic countries focusing on prevalence rates and victims' age and relationship to the perpetrator. The results show a prevalence of child sexual abuse (broadly defined) between 3-23% for boys and 11-36% for girls. The prevalence rates for contact abuse were 1-12% for boys and 6-30% for girls, while 0.3-6.8% of the boys and 1.1-13.5% of the girls reported penetrating abuse. The findings suggest an increased risk of abuse from early adolescence. In adolescence, peers may constitute the largest group of perpetrators. The results highlight the need for preventive efforts also targeting peer abuse. Future research should include cross-national and repeated studies using comparable methodology.

Language: en