Lancet study estimates over 30% girls, 13% boys in India sexually violated before age 18

New Delhi: Over 30 per cent of girls and 13 per cent of boys in India experienced sexual violence before turning 18 years old in 2023, according to an analysis published in The Lancet journal.

Estimating the prevalence of sexual violence against children in over 200 countries between 1990 and 2023, the study found that the highest rates were recorded in south Asia for girls -- ranging from 9.3 per cent in Bangladesh to 30.8 per cent in India.

Around the world, about one in five girls and one in seven boys are estimated to experience sexual violence before turning 18.

Researchers, including those from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington, US, also found that sub-Saharan Africa had the highest rates of sexual violence among boys aged under 18, varying from about eight per cent in Zimbabwe to 28 per cent in Côte d'Ivoire.

Sexual violence against children is a critical public health and human rights issue. Consequences of sexual abuse affect one's long-term health by raising their risk of mental health conditions.

The researchers said that accurate global estimates of sexual violence are important for targeted prevention and advocacy efforts.

However, existing studies present estimates for a limited number of countries and are hindered by data sparsity and measurement challenges, they said.

This study -- one of the first to provide global estimates -- reviewed publicly available repositories for data on the prevalence of sexual violence against children.

"We estimate that the global age-standardised prevalence of SVAC (sexual violence against children) was 18.9 per cent for females and 14.8 per cent for males in 2023," the authors wrote.

The team also said that the first exposure to sexual violence among teens and young adults before age 18 occurred for nearly 70 per cent of the world's men and women.

The authors also found "persistent data gaps", for which they stressed on expanded surveys and surveillance programmes.

They also called for more services and systems in place to support survivors of sexual violence for the rest of their lives and creating childhoods free of sexual violence.