ABSTRACT
Emotional abuse is generally the most prevalent form of mistreatment in childhood, followed by neglect, physical abuse, and sexual abuse. Child sexual abuse (CSA) prevalence based on general populations also show wide variation in estimates. The prevalence and incidence of CSA in institutionalized young people is less researched. An international study found that Australia had the highest documented prevalence rate of CSA among girls. A number of studies have been conducted in New Zealand that explores the prevalence of sexual abuse in the population. Over 47,000 sexual offences committed against children were recorded in the United Kingdom in 2016. In Northern Ireland, between 2008 and 2010, 11,927 violent offences against children were recorded, of which 18 percent were sexual offences. In Canada, the legal definition of CSA is used in incidence and prevalence studies to mitigate the differing definitions of CSA in different provinces and territories.
