The nationwide, representative study on sexualized violence against children and adolescents not only examines the frequency of sexualized violence against children and adolescents, but also the contexts of the acts and their consequences. The study shows that the extent of abuse in Germany is considerable. 12.7 percent of those surveyed stated that they had been affected by sexualized violence at least once in their lives. In relation to the population of 18 to 59-year-olds in Germany, this corresponds to 5.7 million people who have experienced sexualized violence in their lives.
Large dark field
It must therefore be assumed that there is still a large number of unreported cases, although awareness of the problem has grown in Germany in recent years. It is mainly women who are affected, whereas the majority of perpetrators are men. These are the key findings of a representative study initiated by the Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH) and carried out as part of the German Center for Mental Health (DZPG) together with the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinic in Ulm and the Institute of Criminology in Heidelberg in cooperation with the survey institute infratest dimap. The study was financed with the scientific institutes' own funds and with financial support from the WEISSER RING Foundation, the Eckiger Tisch association and the Kinderschutzbund.
Sexualized violence against children and adolescents is also a widespread phenomenon in Germany. Child protection and dealing with the consequences of early childhood abuse pose major challenges for medical care. For many years, there has been criticism that there is no scientifically reliable data on the extent of sexualized violence in Germany. In addition to the actual extent, too little is still known about the exact contexts of the crimes in order to be able to take targeted and effective preventative measures.
Almost 13 percent have experienced sexualized violence
In order to provide a remedy, the Central Institute of Mental Health, as part of the German Center for Mental Health, together with the University Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in Ulm and the Institute of Criminology at Heidelberg University, has conducted the first Germany-wide, representative study that takes into account not only the extent but also the circumstances and consequences of the acts. According to the study, 12.7% of respondents stated that they had experienced sexualized violence as a child or adolescent.
Women are mostly affected
At 20.6%, the rate of women affected was significantly higher than that of men (4.8%). This means that over 20 percent of all women surveyed stated that they had been affected by sexualized violence in childhood and adolescence. In the younger age group of 18 to 29-year-olds, this proportion was even higher at 27.4%.
"The results indicate a considerable dark field that has not decreased compared to previous studies, although awareness of the problem has grown and prevention measures have been expanded in Germany," says Prof. Dr. Harald Dreßing, coordinator of the study and Head of Forensic Psychiatry at the CIMH. When asked who the perpetrator was, the majority of those affected indicated a male perpetrator. Only 4.5 percent of those surveyed had experienced sexualized violence at the hands of a woman.
Sexualized violence most frequently within the family
The study also asked about the context of the acts. Those affected most frequently reported having experienced sexualized violence in the family or through relatives. It was striking that men experienced sexualized violence significantly more frequently in sports and leisure facilities, in a church context and in the context of child, youth and family support. The research team makes it clear that these differences show the need to develop differentiated protection concepts for children and young people.
Digital channels play an important role
Digital channels, such as social media, messenger services and chats, played an important role in almost a third of cases (31.7%). These cases involved, among other things, the unwanted sending of pornographic material, requests for sexual acts or coercion and pressure to share sexual images and videos. 61.9% of those affected who have experienced sexualized violence in the real world have also experienced sexualized violence on social media.
Fear leads to silence
Over a third (37.4%) of those affected had not spoken to other people about the sexualized violence they had experienced. The reasons often given by those affected were feelings of shame and the fear that they would not be believed. "This shows that there is still a considerable amount of darkness and that there is often a lack of protected spaces in which people can openly talk about what they have experienced without having to fear negative consequences," says Dreßing.
Improve prevention and care
The study also clearly shows that the psychological well-being of those affected by sexualized violence is significantly worse than that of those not affected. "It is important that we continue and advance research into the extent and contexts of sexualized violence. This is the only way we can really improve prevention concepts and targeted medical care for those affected," says Prof. Dr. Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg, Director of the CIMH and spokesperson for the DZPG Mannheim-Heidelberg-Ulm site.
Together with the survey institute infratest dimap, 10,000 people aged between 18 and 59 were contacted in writing throughout Germany. Just over 3,000 people took part in the survey. This response rate is high and allows reliable statements to be made.
About the study and the methodology
The study was financed with the scientific institutes' own funds and with financial support from the WEISSER RING Foundation, the Eckiger Tisch association and the Kinderschutzbund.
In cooperation with the survey institute infratest dimap, a representative sample of the German population aged between 18 and 59 was drawn up using addresses from the residents' registration offices. The respondents had the option of taking part in the survey either in writing or online (mixed-mode design). The survey was based on a structured questionnaire and other established and internationally used instruments. Among other things, it asked about specific offense areas, offense contexts, the initiation of the offense and the disclosure of the violence experienced, the consequences of the offense and the significance of social media for the acts of abuse.
The scientific publication
Harald Dreßing, Andreas Hoell, Leonie Scharmann, Anja M. Simon, Ann-Christin Haag, Dieter Dölling, Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg, Joerg Fegert: Sexual Violence Against Children and Adolescents: A German Nationwide Representative Survey on Its Prevalence, Situational Context, and Consequences. Dtsch Arztebl Int 2025; 122: 285-91. DOI: 10.3238/arztebl.m2025.0076
Link: https://www.aerzteblatt.de/10.3238/arztebl.m2025.0076