Child Sexual Abuse Facts – Kids

These statistics reflect prevalence, patterns, and risk factors for children as victims.

Prevalence & Risk

• 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 13 boys in the U.S. experience child sexual abuse (CSA) before the age of 18.

👉 CDC, 2022 – Preventing Child Sexual Abuse

• 34% of victims are under age 12; 66% are ages 12–17.

👉 RAINN – Victims of Child Sexual Abuse

• Most victims (93%) know their abuser. The abuser is often a family member (34%) or acquaintance (59%).

👉 RAINN – Perpetrators of Sexual Violence

• Children with disabilities are nearly 3x more likely to experience sexual abuse than their peers.

👉 National Child Traumatic Stress Network

• Grooming tactics (e.g., building trust, offering gifts, secrets) are common before physical abuse begins.

Impact

• Survivors are 4x more likely to develop symptoms of depression, and 2.5x more likely to experience PTSD later in life.

👉 American Journal of Psychiatry, 2003

• CSA survivors have higher rates of suicide attempts, substance abuse, and academic struggles.

👉 National Sexual Violence Resource Center

Child Sexual Abuse – Adult Survivor Statistics

These stats focus on adults reflecting on abuse they experienced as children.

• 1 in 6 adult women and 1 in 13 adult men in the U.S. report experiencing sexual abuse in childhood.

👉 CDC, 2022 – ACE Study

• Survivors of childhood abuse are:

o 2x as likely to attempt suicide.

o 2x as likely to suffer from major depression.

o 3x more likely to have substance use disorders.

👉 Felitti et al., ACE Study, 1998

• Only 30% of CSA cases are reported during childhood—many survivors disclose years or decades later.

👉 RAINN

Child Sexual Abuse – South Asian Data

In the U.S. (South Asian Americans)

• 25% of South Asian adults in the U.S. reported experiencing child sexual abuse, including unwanted touching and forced acts.

👉 Robertson et al., 2016 – PubMed

• In a NY-based study, 85% of South Asian youth (18–34) reported some form of sexual assault; 25% said the abuser was a family member.

👉 Lim et al., 2022 – BMC Public Health

• Only 27.6% of survivors in that study reported the assault or sought help.

👉 Lim et al., 2022

In South Asia

India

• 53% of Indian children report experiencing some form of sexual abuse (including inappropriate touching, fondling, or forced acts).

👉 Government of India Study, 2007

• Boys are as vulnerable as girls—52.94% of those reporting sexual abuse were boys.

👉 Ministry of Women & Child Development, 2007

Pakistan

• In 2023 alone, 2,021 cases of child sexual abuse were reported in media, though the real number is likely much higher.

👉 State of Children – Sahil NGO

Sri Lanka

• A 2007 study found 21% of boys and 11% of girls had experienced sexual abuse during childhood.

👉 PMC – Study on Children Needing Protection

Online Threat

• South Asia is a global hotspot for child sexual abuse material (CSAM). One-third of global CSAM alerts in 2023 originated from this region.

👉 Business Today, 2024