[Incidence of sexual abuse]

Much attention is paid lately at all levels to sexual child abuse. Its incidence in the population is, however, not known. The objective of the present investigation was to assess the incidence of sexual abuse in a defined group of young people.

The authors examined, using an anonymously completed semistructured questionnaire, 311 5th year medical students from Charles University, mean age cca 23 years. They found that 66% of the women and 20% of the men some time during their life were subjected to involuntary sexual interaction. Only one third of the delicts, however, had occurred before the age of 12, the majority after the age of 15 years. The offender was most frequently an unknown man who exhibited before the victim or fingered her. Brutal of serious interactions (rape or attempted rape) were recorded only in 6%. The authors did not record a single case of incest. The majority of examined subjects experienced this event as unpleasant, however, usually did not tell it to anybody. Police organs were informed only in four cases.

The presented negative experience can contribute to the development of some psychiatric disorders and psychosomatic diseases, although in the examined group a higher rate of psychic and sexual complaints was not recorded in probands with a negative sexual experience.