Facts & statistics

1 in 3

36% of women and 12% of men

1 in 3 female and 1 in 8 male high school students in Sweden have been sexually abused.

Source: Svedin, C.G., Landberg, Å., & Jonsson, L. (2021). Unga, sex och internet efter #metoo.

7 children per class

Approximately seven children in every school class experience sexual abuse before the age of 18. This corresponds to about one in three

children (28.6%).

Source: Svedin, C.G., Landberg, Å., & Jonsson, L. (2021). Unga, sex och internet efter #metoo.

Underreported

Only 1 in 10 children tell authorities about sexual abuse. Many children refrain from telling anyone about ongoing abuse, oftentimes because of fear or dissociation, or the difficulty in defining their experience.

Source: BRÅ

Early exposure to violent porn

The average age of first exposure to pornography is around 12, with some children exposed even earlier. This widespread exposure plays a significant role in shaping harmful norms and is linked to the normalization of sexual violence.

Source: The Ombudsman for Children in Sweden

Increased risk

A research study by WONSA and Karolinska Institutet found that girls exposed to sexual trauma were 19 times more likely to develop psychosis and 26 times more likely to attempt suicide compared to their peers.

Source: Study by Rajan G, Syding S. et al., 2021

Children as abusers

A growing concern is the increase in sexual offenses committed by children and adolescents against other children. At the same time, there are signs that violent sexual behaviors are becoming normalized among teenagers.

Source: The General Children’s Foundation Sweden, Porrfribarndom, Storasyster.org

70% know their abuser

More than 70% of sexually abused children know their perpetrator. In many cases, the perpetrator is someone close to the child or within their social circle.

Source:The General Children’s Foundation Sweden, 2021