Prevalence of Sexual Abuse in Children and Adolescents: An Updated Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a form of violence with important consequences in the victim’s life. It implies using a minor as a sexual object by someone in an unequal relationship. CSA prevalence is a complex phenomenon to measure, as it changes considerably between studies due to different methodologies or sample characteristics. This research aimed to conduct a meta-analysis of CSA prevalence in minor samples, examine its heterogeneity, and update the data of previous meta-analyses. The literature search was conducted in APA PsycINFO, SCOPUS, Web of Science, Dialnet, and ERIC Ebsco databases from 2010 to 2025. The variables coded included sample size, mean age, sex, type of perpetrator, perpetrator’s sex, country, year, data collection method, type of questionnaire and sample, response rate, type of prevalence, and CSA. Heterogeneity and moderator analyses were conducted only for mixed and intercourse CSA, as the number of studies to calculate pooled estimates for abuse with contact and non-contact was insufficient. A total of 28 studies were included with 75 units of analysis, separated by sex, boys and girls. The mean prevalence rates ranged from 3% to 10% for both sexes’ samples: 1% to 11% for the girls’ sample, and 3% to 10% for the boys’ sample. Heterogeneity was observed in all prevalence values. The CSA prevalence found was high, in both types of abuse. The reported prevalence of different types of abuse varies considerably between countries.