Background/aim:

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a pervasive issue that affects children and adolescents worldwide, and Spain is no exception. Despite its high impact, there is a lack of comprehensive data on the prevalence of CSA in Spain. This study aims to update the current state of the prevalence of CSA, providing a comprehensive picture of the prevalence of sexual abuse from data using varying defining criteria.

Method:

A cross-sectional design was conducted, including a total of 1,323 participants, aged between 18 and 70 years (M = 28.40, SD = 10.31) responded to a measure of exposure to child sexual abuse.

Results:

The results exhibited that the prevalence of CSA was 9.2% for male and 22.1% for female participants, significantly higher for them. In terms of prevalence rate, females reported more frequently than males having suffered a more severe form of sexual abuse when they were 13 to 18 years old, with a large magnitude of the effect. Another notable finding was that the occurrence of global CSA with and without intercourse was significant, not a trivial effect.

Conclusions:

Consequently, there is a need for increased awareness, education, and resources to prevent and address CSA. The results of this study highlight the need for continued research to better understand the extent of CSA and to develop evidence-based interventions to protect children and adolescents from CSA victimization.