NSPCC Sexual abuse key child protection statistics (December 2007)

• 1% of children aged under 16 experienced sexual abuse by a parent or carer, and a further 3% by another relative during childhood.
• 11% of children aged under 16 experienced sexual abuse during childhood by people known but unrelated to them.
• 5% of children aged under 16 experienced sexual abuse during childhood by an adult stranger or someone they had just met.
• In total, 16% of children aged under 16 experienced sexual abuse during childhood. 11% of this was contact abuse and 6% was non-contact.
• Overall, 11% of boys aged under 16 and 21% of girls aged under 16 experienced sexual abuse during childhood.
• The majority of children who experienced sexual abuse had more than one sexually abusive experience; only indecent exposure was likely to be a single incident.
• Three-quarters (72%) of sexually abused children did not tell anyone about the abuse at the time. 27% told someone

For the children who experienced sexual abuse in the family, the most common perpetrator was a brother or stepbrother:

• 38% of penetrative/oral acts of sexual abuse in the family were by a brother/stepbrother
• 23% were perpetrated by a father
• 14% were perpetrated by an uncle
• 13% were perpetrated by a stepfather
• 8% were perpetrated by a cousin
• 6% were perpetrated by a grandfather
• 4% were perpetrated by a mother

For other forms of sexual abuse (attempted penetrative/oral acts, touching, voyeurism/pornography and exposure) brothers were also the most frequently cited perpetrator.

For the children who experienced sexual abuse outside of the family, the most common perpetrator was a boyfriend or girlfriend:

• 70% of penetrative/oral acts of sexual abuse outside of the family were by a boyfriend/girlfriend
• 17% were perpetrated by 'someone I recently met' 7
• 10% were perpetrated by a fellow student/pupil
• 6% were perpetrated by a friend of their parents
• 6% were perpetrated by a friend of their brother/sister

Data taken from Cawson, P. et al. (2000) Child maltreatment in the United Kingdom: a study of the prevalence of child abuse and neglect. London: NSPCC

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