The Global Prevalence of Sexual Assault: A Systematic Review of International Research Since 2010

Overview

Journal Psychol Violence

Date 2021 Nov 5

PMID 34737898

Citations 23

Authors

Emily R Dworkin

Barbara Krahe

Heidi Zinzow

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: We present a review of peer-reviewed English-language studies conducted outside the United States and Canada on the prevalence of sexual assault victimization in adolescence and adulthood published since 2010.

Method: A systematic literature search yielded 32 articles reporting on 45 studies from 29 countries. Studies that only provided prevalence estimates for sexual assault in intimate relationships or did not present separate rates for men and women were excluded. All studies were coded by two coders, and a risk of bias score was calculated for each study. Both past-year and prevalence rates covering longer periods were extracted.

Results: The largest number of studies came from Europe (=21), followed by Africa (=11), Asia and Latin America (=6 each). One study came from the Middle East and no studies were found from Oceania. Across the 22 studies that reported past-year prevalence rates, figures ranged from 0% to 59.2% for women, 0.3% to 55.5% for men, and 1.5% to 18.2% for LGBT samples. The average risk of bias score was 5.7 out of 10. Studies varied widely in methodology.

Conclusion: Despite regional variation, most studies indicate that sexual assault is widespread. More sustained, systematic, and coordinated research efforts are needed to gauge the scale of sexual assault in different parts of the world and to develop prevention measures.

Citing Articles

A short screen for lifetime sexual victimization experiences: Expanding research on the Sexual Abuse History Questionnaire (SAHQ) across cultures, genders, and sexual identities.

Nagy L, Bergeron S, Koos M, Gewirtz-Meydan A, Vaillancourt-Morel M, Kraus S Int J Clin Health Psychol. 2025; 25(1):100535.

PMID: 39877887 PMC: 11773023. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijchp.2024.100535.

Ecological approach to the characteristics and determinants of sexual violence against adolescents in Perú.

Enriquez Y, Cahui C, Diaz G Biomedica. 2024; 44(2):230-247.

PMID: 39088530 PMC: 11374119. DOI: 10.7705/biomedica.7131.

Effects of sexual assault vs. other traumatic experiences on emotional and cannabis use outcomes in regular cannabis users with trauma histories: moderation by gender?.

Stewart S, Khoury J, Watt M, Collins P, DeGrace S, Romero-Sanchiz P Front Psychol. 2024; 15:1386264.

PMID: 38882518 PMC: 11178137. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1386264.

[Trauma and memory-A contribution to the current debate in law and psychotherapy].

Schellong J, Schellong A, Gast U, Frommberger U, Jatzko A, Schafer I Nervenarzt. 2024; 95(7):608-615.

PMID: 38709253 PMC: 11222194. DOI: 10.1007/s00115-024-01665-x.

Understanding the dark side of personality in sex offenders considering the level of sexual violence.

Balcioglu Y, Dogan M, Inci I, Tabo A, Solmaz M Psychiatr Psychol Law. 2024; 31(2):254-273.

PMID: 38628251 PMC: 11018081. DOI: 10.1080/13218719.2023.2192259.

References

de Haas S, van Berlo W, Bakker F, Vanwesenbeeck I . Prevalence and characteristics of sexual violence in the Netherlands, the risk of revictimization and pregnancy: results from a national population survey. Violence Vict. 2012; 27(4):592-608. DOI: 10.1891/0886-6708.27.4.592. View

Swahnberg K, Davidsson-Simmons J, Hearn J, Wijma B . Men's experiences of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse and abuse in health care: a cross-sectional study of a Swedish random male population sample. Scand J Public Health. 2011; 40(2):191-202. DOI: 10.1177/1403494811425711. View

Long P, Siegfried N . The revictimization of child sexual abuse survivors: an examination of the adjustment of college women with child sexual abuse, adult sexual assault, and adult physical abuse. Child Maltreat. 2001; 5(1):18-27. DOI: 10.1177/1077559500005001003. View

Fedina L, Holmes J, Backes B . Campus Sexual Assault: A Systematic Review of Prevalence Research From 2000 to 2015. Trauma Violence Abuse. 2016; 19(1):76-93. DOI: 10.1177/1524838016631129. View

Chan K . Association between childhood sexual abuse and adult sexual victimization in a representative sample in Hong Kong Chinese. Child Abuse Negl. 2011; 35(3):220-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2010.11.005. View

Macdowall W, Gibson L, Tanton C, Mercer C, Lewis R, Clifton S . Lifetime prevalence, associated factors, and circumstances of non-volitional sex in women and men in Britain: findings from the third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal-3). Lancet. 2013; 382(9907):1845-55. PMC: 3898964. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(13)62300-4. View

Mumford E, Potter S, Taylor B, Stapleton J . Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault in Early Adulthood: National Estimates for College and Non-College Students. Public Health Rep. 2020; 135(5):555-559. PMC: 7485046. DOI: 10.1177/0033354920946014. View

Schuster I, Krahe B, Ilabaca Baeza P, Munoz-Reyes J . Sexual Aggression Victimization and Perpetration among Male and Female College Students in Chile. Front Psychol. 2016; 7:1354. PMC: 5030277. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01354. View

Shaw S, Lorway R, Deering K, Avery L, Mohan H, Bhattacharjee P . Factors associated with sexual violence against men who have sex with men and transgendered individuals in Karnataka, India. PLoS One. 2012; 7(3):e31705. PMC: 3308942. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0031705. View

10.

Fan A, Kress H, Gupta S, Wadonda-Kabondo N, Shawa M, Mercy J . Do self-reported data reflect the real burden of lifetime exposure to sexual violence among females aged 13-24 years in Malawi?. Child Abuse Negl. 2016; 58:72-9. PMC: 6091644. DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2016.05.003. View

11.

Breiding M, Smith S, Basile K, Walters M, Chen J, Merrick M . Prevalence and characteristics of sexual violence, stalking, and intimate partner violence victimization--national intimate partner and sexual violence survey, United States, 2011. MMWR Surveill Summ. 2014; 63(8):1-18. PMC: 4692457. View

12.

Coker A, Follingstad D, Bush H, Fisher B . Are Interpersonal Violence Rates Higher Among Young Women in College Compared With Those Never Attending College?. J Interpers Violence. 2015; 31(8):1413-29. DOI: 10.1177/0886260514567958. View

13.

Rothman E, Exner D, Baughman A . The prevalence of sexual assault against people who identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual in the United States: a systematic review. Trauma Violence Abuse. 2011; 12(2):55-66. PMC: 3118668. DOI: 10.1177/1524838010390707. View

14.

Rosenbaum A, Rabenhorst M, Reddy M, Fleming M, Howells N . A comparison of methods for collecting self-report data on sensitive topics. Violence Vict. 2006; 21(4):461-71. View

15.

Basile K, Chen J, Black M, Saltzman L . Prevalence and characteristics of sexual violence victimization among U.S. adults, 2001-2003. Violence Vict. 2007; 22(4):437-48. DOI: 10.1891/088667007781553955. View

16.

DAbreu L, Krahe B, Bazon M . Sexual aggression among Brazilian college students: prevalence of victimization and perpetration in men and women. J Sex Res. 2012; 50(8):795-807. DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2012.702799. View

17.

Peitzmeier S, Yasin F, Stephenson R, Wirtz A, Delegchoimbol A, Dorjgotov M . Sexual Violence against Men Who Have Sex with Men and Transgender Women in Mongolia: A Mixed-Methods Study of Scope and Consequences. PLoS One. 2015; 10(10):e0139320. PMC: 4592264. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0139320. View

18.

Peterson Z, Voller E, Polusny M, Murdoch M . Prevalence and consequences of adult sexual assault of men: review of empirical findings and state of the literature. Clin Psychol Rev. 2010; 31(1):1-24. DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2010.08.006. View

19.

Canan S, Jozkowski K, Wiersma-Mosley J, Bradley M, Blunt-Vinti H . Differences in Lesbian, Bisexual, and Heterosexual Women's Experiences of Sexual Assault and Rape in a National U.S. Sample. J Interpers Violence. 2019; 36(19-20):9100-9120. DOI: 10.1177/0886260519863725. View

20.

Weaver T . Impact of rape on female sexuality: review of selected literature. Clin Obstet Gynecol. 2010; 52(4):702-11. DOI: 10.1097/GRF.0b013e3181bf4bfb. View