title: Gender and age differences in prevalence and incidence of child sexual abuse in Croatia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine age and gender differences in the prevalence and incidence of child sexual abuse, the level of acquaintance of the child and the perpetrator, and correlations between experiencing family violence and sexual abuse on a nationally representative sample of 11, 13, and 16 years old children.
  
  
  METHODS
  A probabilistic stratified cluster sample included 2.62% of the overall population of children aged 11 (n=1223), 13 (n=1188), and 16 (n=1233) from 40 primary and 29 secondary schools. A modified version of ISPCAN Child Abuse Screening Tool - Children's Version was used. Five items referred to child sexual abuse (CSA) for all age groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In Croatia, 10.8% of children experienced some form of sexual abuse (4.8% to 16.5%, depending on the age group) during childhood and 7.7% of children experienced it during the previous year (3.7% to 11.1%, depending on the age group). Gender comparison showed no difference in the prevalence of contact sexual abuse, whereas more girls than boys experienced non-contact sexual abuse. Correlations between sexual abuse and physical and psychological abuse in the family were small, but significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Comparisons with international studies show that Croatia is a country with a low prevalence of CSA. The fact that the majority of perpetrators of sexual abuse are male and female peers indicates the urgent need to address risks of sexual victimization in the health education of children.
authors.affiliation: Nika Susac, Studijski centar socijalnog rada, Nazorova 51, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia, nika.susac@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ajdukovic
authors.forename: Nika
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Susac
authors.forename: Miroslav
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rajter
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019548:Crime Victims; D017523:Croatia; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D015995:Prevalence; D012574:Schools; D012737:Sex Factors