13.6 million people in England and Wales experienced some form of abuse before turning 18, according to the latest Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW).
The new data published by the Office for National Statistics, covers the year ending March 2024 and reveals stark insights into the prevalence and nature of child abuse across the country.
Emotional abuse emerged as the most common form, affecting 22.7% of adults, followed by physical abuse (16.5%n), sexual abuse (9.1%) and neglect (7.6%).
Women reported significantly higher rates of abuse overall, with 31.5% saying they were victimised before 18, compared with 26.4% of men. The gender gap was particularly clear for sexual abuse, which affected 13.9% of women versus 4.1% of men.
The survey also shows how childhood experiences continue to shape adult life. Those who endured any abuse were more than twice as likely to report low life satisfaction (8.4% vs. 4%), and more than three times as likely to experience domestic abuse in the past year (15.4% vs. 4.5%) compared with those who did not.
In most cases, abuse was carried out by family members. Fathers and mothers were cited as the main perpetrators of both emotional and physical abuse. Fathers were named in 29.4% of emotional abuse and 45.6% of physical abuse cases, while mothers were named in 25.6% and 37.2%, respectively.
For sexual abuse, the majority of victims knew their abuser, though a third (33.2%) said the perpetrator was a stranger – most commonly in cases of non-contact abuse, such as online exploitation. Perpetrators were predominantly male (91.3%), and 70% were aged 18 or older at the time.
The report also highlights marked differences across social and demographic groups. People from mixed ethnic backgrounds (40.2%), those who are disabled (42%), and individuals whose gender identity differs from their sex at birth (53.4%) were far more likely to report childhood abuse. LGBTQ+ adults were also disproportionately affected, with 62.5% of bisexual and 48.1% of gay or lesbian respondents reporting abuse, compared with 27.7% of heterosexual people.
The full report can be read here.
Photo: DANNY G/UnSplash
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