Over 30% girls, 13% boys in India sexually violated before age 18: Lancet study

More than 30 per cent of girls and 13 per cent of boys in India were subjected to sexual violence before the age of 18 in 2023, according to a global analysis published in The Lancet medical journal.

The study, which assessed the prevalence of child sexual abuse across over 200 countries from 1990 to 2023, revealed that South Asia reported the highest rates among girls. India topped the region, with 30.8 per cent of girls affected, followed by Bangladesh at 9.3 per cent.

Globally, one in five girls and one in seven boys are estimated to experience sexual violence before turning 18.

The research, led by experts from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, also found that sub-Saharan Africa had the highest rates of sexual violence against boys under 18 — ranging from around 8 per cent in Zimbabwe to 28 per cent in Côte d’Ivoire.

Sexual violence against children, the researchers stressed, is a grave public health and human rights issue with long-term consequences, including heightened risks of mental health disorders.

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“Accurate global estimates of sexual violence are vital for targeted prevention strategies and advocacy efforts,” the authors noted. Yet they acknowledged that existing data remains limited due to gaps in reporting and challenges in measurement.

This comprehensive study is among the first to provide global age-standardised estimates of sexual violence against children (SVAC). It found that in 2023, the global prevalence of SVAC was 18.9 per cent among females and 14.8 per cent among males.

Alarmingly, the study found that nearly 70 per cent of adults who had experienced sexual violence did so for the first time before the age of 18.

The authors called for improved data collection through expanded surveys and surveillance, and urged governments and health systems to implement sustained support services for survivors. They emphasised the urgent need to ensure children grow up free from the threat of sexual violence.