Prevalence of sexual abuse of children in Germany.
A survey of the prevalence of sexual abuse of children in two different areas of Germany (Würzburg - former West Germany and Leipzig - former East Germany) was conducted using a multiple screen questionnaire. The sample consisted of 1841 students from different institutions in Würzburg and 310 students from vocational schools in Leipzig (n = 2151). Data on a similar number of males and females were recorded. Problems of definition, sample characteristics and methodology are discussed. Sexual abuse was reported by 16.1% of the women and 5.8% of the men in the Würzburg sample and 9.6% and 5.8%, respectively, in the Leipzig sample. More comparable subsamples showed less discrepancy in the prevalence rates for women in the two cities.
Schötensack
K
K
Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Würzburg, Federal Republic of Germany.
Elliger
T
T
Gross
A
A
Nissen
G
G
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence