Experiences of sexualised violence in adolescence: results of a representative survey

Abstract

Background: The Federal Centre for Health Education (BZgA) has generated data on the prevalence of sexualised violence in adolescence through its representative survey on youth sexuality since 1998. Since then, the survey has been refined and thus contributes to bridging existing gaps in prevalence research. Aim: Based on the ninth survey iteration of the youth sexuality study prevalence rates of direct (hands-on) and indirect (hands-off) sexualized violence in adolescence, data on offenders and disclosure of young people after victimization are depicted. Methods: Computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) was conducted in a sample (N = 6032) of adolescents (14–17 years) and young adults (18–25 years). Items on the lifetime prevalence of indirect (hands-off) sexualised violence were included in the questionnaire for the recent wave of the representative survey. This article offers the first descriptive survey results. Results: Adolescents and young adults experience sexualised violence predominantly within their own peer group. Additionally, peers play a significant role in responding to disclosure of sexualised violence. Discussion: The findings support results of other population surveys regarding differences between experiences of sexualised violence in childhood and adolescence. The survey is aimed to contribute to continuous monitoring, providing regular datasets on sexualised violence in adolescence. The study aims to induce evidence-based, target-group-specific prevention measures.