Child sexual abuse in Canada: Prevalence, perpetrators, and characteristics

Detailed information about the epidemiology of child sexual abuse (CSA) in Canada is lacking.

To estimate the prevalence of CSA; determine if CSA prevalence differs by gender and age group; and describe CSA characteristics, including perpetrators, age of onset, age of cessation, duration, and chronicity.

Adults aged 18-49 years provided retrospective accounts of CSA in a cross-sectional survey (Childhood Adversity and Resilience-Youth and Early Adulthood Research Study [CARe-YEARS]; N = 3767; May 2024).

CSA included non-contact CSA (looking at or exposing private parts) and three types of contact CSA (touching private parts, attempted forced sex, and completed forced sex). Descriptive statistics were conducted. Gender and age-group differences in prevalence were tested with logistic regression.

The prevalence of CSA was 25.8% overall, including 21.0% any contact CSA and 14.7% non-contact CSA. Women and gender-diverse individuals disproportionately experienced CSA compared to men. The overall prevalence of CSA by perpetrator type included 9.1% friend/schoolmate; 8.4% boyfriend/girlfriend; 4.8% unknown adolescent; 4.3% known adult (non-family); 4.2% unknown adult; 3.6% cousin; 2.1% parent/stepparent/parent's boyfriend or girlfriend; 2.0% grandparent, uncle, or aunt; and 1.4% sibling. Between 22 and 33% of survivors did not recall additional characteristics of the abuse. Of those who reported, the mean age of onset was 11.0 years and one in four reported that CSA occurred six or more times. Age group trends (18 to 29 years and 30 to 49 years) indicated declines in some CSA subtypes.

Findings from the current study provide detailed evidence of survivors' CSA experiences, addressing important knowledge gaps to inform policy and CSA prevention.