One in eight girls in the world has been raped, UNICEF denounces

New York. More than 370 million girls and young women – 1 in 8 – were raped or sexually assaulted before the age of 18, Unicef ​​denounced this Thursday, warning of the “devastating consequences” for the victims and calling for “urgent global” action to combat this crime.

If “non-contact” forms of sexual violence, such as verbal or online abuse, are included, the number of minors and women affected rises to 650 million worldwide, 1 in 5, the advocacy organization said. of childhood.

Adolescent girls between 14 and 17 years old are the most affected, according to this first global estimate published on the eve of the International Day of the Girl.

Although the experiences of girls and young women are better documented, abuse affects boys too.

It is estimated that between 240 and 310 million boys and men – approximately 1 in 11 – suffered rape or sexual abuse during childhood.

“Sexual violence against children is a stain on our collective conscience,” says UNICEF Director General Catherine Russell.

“It inflicts deep and lasting trauma, often caused by people children know and trust, and in places where they should feel safe,” Russell adds in a statement.

No country or region is spared. The highest number of victims is recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa, with 79 million affected. They are followed by East and Southeast Asia, with 75 million, and Central and South Asia with 73 million.

Europe and North America register 68 million affected, Latin America and the Caribbean, 45 million, North Africa and Western Asia, 29 million, and Oceania, 6 million.

In fragile settings, particularly among those displaced by political and security crises, girls are at even greater risk: the incidence of rape and sexual abuse is slightly above 1 in 4.

“We are seeing horrific acts of sexual violence in conflict zones, where rape and gender-based violence are often used as weapons of war,” Russell said.

Studies also show that minors who suffer sexual violence are more likely to suffer repeated abuse and are at greater risk of falling into drugs, social isolation or mental disorders such as anxiety and depression, in addition to finding it difficult to forge healthy relationships.

Not disclosing abuse aggravates its consequences, the organization says.

Unicef ​​warns of the “urgent need to intensify global action to combat sexual violence against children, which includes measures such as changing social and cultural norms, providing minors with precise information that enables them to recognize this type of violence.”

Likewise, it is necessary to guarantee that victims have access to services that promote justice and healing and the legal framework is strengthened to protect them.