Childhood sexual abuse and bullying victimization: National, regional and global trend analysis from global burden of disease data 1990-2021.

BACKGROUND

Child sexual abuse (CSA) and bullying victimization (BV) are major public health concerns globally, with log term psychological and social consequences for children.

OBJECTIVE

This study will analyse the global trend of CSA and BV from 1990 to 2021. Summary exposure values (SEV) from Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study data to find national, regional and global trends.

PARTICIPANTS AND

SETTING

Global SEV (per 100,000 population) data for CSA, BV, and their combined effects were analyzed from GBD 1990 to 2021.

METHODS

An estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) was calculated using a linear regression model. Gender-wise comparisons were conducted to assess disparities between males and females.

RESULTS

Globally, the Age-Standardized rate (ASR) for BV in 2021 was 7.96, for CSA 6.32, and Child sexual abuse and bullying (CSAB) 8.05 was observed. The 2021 ASR of BV was regionally highest in Asia at 8.45, CSA and CSAB in Africa at 9.13 and 9.23, respectively. At the national level, ASR of 2021 for BV was highest in Egypt at 16.96, CSA in Nigeria at 20.62 and CSAB in Bhutan at 13.70. Males consistently exhibited higher SEV ASR compared to females across all categories.

CONCLUSIONS

The global burden of child abuse has shown increasing trends over the last three decades. Despite variations, gender disparities persist, with males consistently experiencing higher exposure. The results of this study highlight the need for policy interventions, preventive measures, and targeted support programs to address these issues.