Noemí Pereda1, Georgina Guilera, Maria Forns, Juana Gómez-Benito. 1. Departament de Personalitat, Avaluació i Tractament Psicològics, Facultat de Psicologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Passeig Vall d'Hebron 171, 08035 Barcelona, Spain. npereda@ub.edu
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Studies conducted internationally confirm that child sexual abuse is a much more widespread problem than previously thought, with even the lowest prevalence rates including a large number of victims that need to be taken into account. OBJECTIVE: To carry out a meta-analysis of the prevalence of child sexual abuse in order to establish an overall international figure. METHODS: Studies were retrieved from various electronic databases. The measure of interest was the prevalence of abuse reported in each article, these values being combined via a random effects model. A detailed analysis was conducted of the effects of various moderator variables. RESULTS: Sixty-five articles covering 22 countries were included. The analysis showed that 7.9% of men (7.4% without outliers) and 19.7% of women (19.2% without outliers) had suffered some form of sexual abuse prior to the age of eighteen. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present meta-analysis indicate that child sexual abuse is a serious problem in the countries analysed.
BACKGROUND: Studies conducted internationally confirm that childsexual abuse is a much more widespread problem than previously thought, with even the lowest prevalence rates including a large number of victims that need to be taken into account. OBJECTIVE: To carry out a meta-analysis of the prevalence of childsexual abuse in order to establish an overall international figure. METHODS: Studies were retrieved from various electronic databases. The measure of interest was the prevalence of abuse reported in each article, these values being combined via a random effects model. A detailed analysis was conducted of the effects of various moderator variables. RESULTS: Sixty-five articles covering 22 countries were included. The analysis showed that 7.9% of men (7.4% without outliers) and 19.7% of women (19.2% without outliers) had suffered some form of sexual abuse prior to the age of eighteen. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present meta-analysis indicate that childsexual abuse is a serious problem in the countries analysed.
Authors: Carolyn E Sartor; Vivia V McCutcheon; Elliot C Nelson; Alexis E Duncan; Kathleen K Bucholz; Andrew C Heath Journal: J Stud Alcohol Drugs Date: 2012-09 Impact factor: 2.582