ATLANTA — Researchers at Georgia State University are raising concerns about the scope of child sexual violence, calling it one of the most significant and preventable threats facing children worldwide.
A new study found that 1 in 5 women and 1 in 6 men experience sexual violence as children.
Professor Greta Massetti said the findings are alarming, noting the scale of the issue across the globe.
“Over a one year period alone, we found that more than 72 million girls, and nearly 61 million boys experience sexual violence,” Massetti said.
Researchers examined nearly 1,500 studies across 147 countries. According to the study, more than 130 million children globally experienced sexual violence in 2024 alone.
Massetti said the problem spans every region.
“Sexual childhood violence is widespread, it is occurring in every region in the world,” she said.
The study also found that the United States and North America have a slightly higher prevalence compared to other parts of the world.
“Sub-Saharan Africa had a slightly higher prevalence. The United States and North America also had slightly higher prevalence than other parts of the world as well,” Massetti said.
Massetti said the impacts on children can be significant and often go unnoticed.
“Sexual violence has significant impacts on young people and it often goes unseen,” she said.
She added that more needs to be done to address the issue, including improving prevention and accountability.
“Ensure that child protection is embedded across the spectrum, that we are identifying victims, prosecuting offenders to the greatest extent of the law,” Massetti said.
WSB Radio’s Sabrina Cupit contributed to this story.