CDC: Sexual Violence Against Children Appears To Be A Global Problem

TIME (6/5, Sifferlin) reports, “Sexual violence against children is a global problem – and few receive supportive services exist for its victims,” according to research released June 5 by the CDC in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. That report, the results of which “come from Violence Against Children Surveys that were conducted between 2007 and 2013 among men and women ages 18 to 24 in Swaziland, Tanzania, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Haiti and Cambodia,” shows that “at least 25% of females and 10% of males report experiencing a form of sexual violence as a child.”

The NPR (6/5, Silver) “Goats and Soda” blog interviews report lead author Steven Sumner, MD, MSC-GH, a “medical epidemiologist at CDC’s Division of Violence Prevention,” who said, “To me, the most striking finding was how few children were getting help.” Dr. Sumner added, “Expanding services to children both in terms of prevention services and response services is badly needed.”

Related Links:

— “Sexual Violence Against Children Is a Worldwide Problem, Study Says,” Alexandra Sifferlin, Time, June 4, 2015.

Posted in In The News.