Title: Risk Factors | Sexual Assault | INSPQ
Headings: Risk Factors
Risk Factors
A word of caution on the interpretation of risk factors
Factors associated with an increased risk of being sexually abused during childhood (0-18 years of age)
References

Content: Victimization in childhood
Victimization in adulthood
Perpetration of sexual abuse
Factors associated with an increased risk of being sexually abused during childhood (0-18 years of age)
Anyone can be sexually assaulted during his or her lifetime. However, children and young people with certain characteristics account for a larger share of sexual abuse victims. Few factors have as yet been clearly identified by researchers as increasing the risk that a child or a young person will be sexually abused. However, it is well known that a child or young person’s stage of development and gender contribute to the risk. In addition, certain characteristics have been identified as being more likely to be found in families where children experience sexual abuse. These characteristics may affect the parents’ ability to properly supervise their children. Family problems also seem to increase children’s vulnerability to sexual abuse by contributing to the presence of characteristics sought by perpetrators. 3
The community and societal factors identified as being associated with an increased risk that children and young people will be sexually abused show that sexual abuse is a social phenomenon that concerns the population as a whole. Identifying factors that are associated with an increased risk that children will experience sexual abuse helps to better plan preventive interventions in the area of sexual abuse by making it possible to target higher-risk groups and act on the risk factors concerned
Individual factors 4,5,6,7
Certain individual factors have been associated with an increased likelihood of being sexually abused as a child. The most consistently reported factors include: