Prevalence and Associated Characteristics of Sexual Victimization of Chilean Children and Adolescents in a National Sample: An Update.

UNLABELLED: Sexual victimization of children and adolescents is a critical public health concern.

AIM: The prevalence of different forms of sexual victimization and their sociodemographic correlates were estimated in a nationally representative sample of school-aged children in Chile.

METHODS

Data from 13,132 students aged 12 to 18 years were analyzed, drawn from the 2nd National Polyvictimization Survey (2023/2024). An adapted version of the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire was used. Descriptive analyses and logistic regressions were performed.

RESULTS

Lifetime sexual victimization was reported by 28.6% of adolescents, and 17% reported victimization within the past 12 months. The most common forms were verbal sexual harassment and exhibitionism, mostly perpetrated by male adolescents. Being female, identifying as another gender, having a disability, being older, and attending public schools were associated with increased risk.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings underscore the need to strengthen prevention policies with an emphasis on gender and disability.