Child sexual abuse by different classes and types of perpetrator: Prevalence and trends from an Australian national survey

Ben Mathews; David Finkelhor; Rosana Pacella; James G Scott; Daryl J Higgins; Franziska Meinck; Holly E Erskine; Hannah J Thomas; David Lawrence; Eva Malacova; Divna M Haslam; Delphine Collin-Vézina

doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106562

Child sexual abuse by different classes and types of perpetrator: Prevalence and trends from an Australian national survey

Child Abuse Negl. 2024 Jan:147:106562. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106562. Epub 2023 Dec 7.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ School of Law, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, Australia; Australian Centre for Health Law Research, School of Law, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Australia; Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA. Electronic address: b.mathews@qut.edu.au.
² Crimes Against Children Research Center, Department of Sociology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA.
³ Institute for Lifecourse Development, University of Greenwich, United Kingdom.
⁴ Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Wacol, Australia; QIMR Berghofer, Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia; Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; Child and Youth Mental Health Service, Children's Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service, South Brisbane, Australia.
⁵ Institute of Child Protection Studies, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia.
⁶ School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom; School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa; OPTENTIA, Faculty of Humanities, North-West University, Vanderbijlpark, South Africa.
⁷ Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Wacol, Australia; School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington, Seattle, USA.
⁸ Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Wacol, Australia; QIMR Berghofer, Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia; Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
⁹ Curtin University, Perth, Australia.
¹⁰ QIMR Berghofer, Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia.
¹¹ School of Law, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, Australia; Australian Centre for Health Law Research, School of Law, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Australia; Parenting and Family Suppport Centre, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
¹² Centre for Research on Children and Families, McGill University, Canada.

PMID: 38061281
DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106562

Abstract

Background: Little evidence exists about the prevalence of child sexual abuse (CSA) inflicted by different relational classes of perpetrators (e.g., parents; institutional adults; adolescents), and by individual types of perpetrators (e.g., fathers and male relatives; male teachers and male clergy; known and unknown adolescents).

Objective: To generate evidence of the prevalence of CSA by different perpetrators, and trends by victim gender and age group.

Participants and setting: The Australian Child Maltreatment Study collected information about CSA victimisation from a nationally-representative sample of 8503 individuals aged 16 and over.

Methods: We analysed data about 42 perpetrator types, collapsed into eight classes. We generated national prevalence estimates of CSA inflicted by each perpetrator class and individual perpetrator type, and compared results by victim gender and age group.

Results: Australian CSA prevalence was 28.5%, with the following prevalence by perpetrator classes: other known adolescents (non-romantic): 10.0%; parents/caregivers in the home: 7.8%; other known adults: 7.5%; unknown adults: 4.9%; adolescents (current/former romantic partners): 2.5%; institutional caregivers: 2.0%; siblings: 1.6%; unknown adolescents: 1.4%. Women experienced more CSA by all perpetrator classes except institutional caregivers. Age group comparison showed significant declines in CSA by parents/caregivers, and other known adults; and increases in CSA by adolescents (current/former romantic partners). Individual perpetrator type comparison showed declines in CSA by fathers, male relatives living in the home, non-resident male relatives, and other known male adults; and increases in CSA by known male adolescents, current boyfriends, and former boyfriends.

Conclusions: CSA by adults has declined, indicating positive impacts of prevention efforts. However, CSA by adolescents has increased. Further declines in CSA by adults are required and possible. Targeted prevention of CSA by adolescents must be prioritised.

Keywords: Child sexual abuse; Offenders or perpetrators - trends by perpetrator class; Trends by individual perpetrator types; Trends by victim gender - trends by victim age group.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Australia / epidemiology
Child
Child Abuse*
Child Abuse, Sexual*
Crime Victims*
Female
Humans
Male
Prevalence