Sexual Violence - The Extent of The Problem

The Extent of The Problem

Data on sexual violence typically come from police, clinical settings, nongovernmental organizations and survey research. The relationship between these sources and the global magnitude of the problem of sexual violence maybe viewed as corresponding to an iceberg floating in water (see diagram). The small visible tip represents cases reported to police. A larger section may be elucidated through survey research and the work of nongovernmental organizations. But beneath the surface remains a substantial although unquantified component of the problem.

In general, sexual violence has been a neglected area of research. The available data are scanty and fragmented. Police data, for instance, are often incomplete and limited. Many people do not report sexual violence to police because they are ashamed, or fear being blamed, not believed or otherwise mistreated. Data from medico-legal clinics, on the other hand, may be biased towards the more violent incidents of sexual abuse.

The proportion of people who seek medical services for immediate problems related to sexual violence is also relatively small. Although there have been considerable advances over the past decade in measuring the phenomenon through survey research, the definitions used have varied considerably across studies. There are also significant differences across cultures in the willingness to disclose sexual violence to researchers. Caution is therefore needed when making global comparisons of the prevalence of sexual violence.

The WHO has conducted a survey of available data and studies globally to assess the extent of this issue and issued a chapter-length report, called “Sexual Violence," as part of the WHO’s larger 2002 “World Report on Violence and Health.” The report states that, globally, one in four women will likely experience sexual violence by an intimate partner and one in three girls report their first sexual experience being forced. Survey data taken during single calendar years in the 1990s showed that women reported being sexually assaulted at high levels in certain cities globally. During a 12-month period, 8% of women in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil reported assaults; 4.5% in Kampala, Uganda; 5.8% in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The rates over time show an even more drastic problem. Between 1989 and 2000, 7.7% of women in the United States reported sexual crimes against them; 23% in north London, U.K.; 29.9% in Bangkok; 15.3% in Toronto, Canada. More than 40% of women in parts of Mexico and Peru reported sexual violence during that period. Among the countries studied, Finland stood out for having the lowest rate — 5.9%.