New York: A groundbreaking report by UNICEF released today reveals that more than 370 million girls and women globally have suffered rape or sexual assault before the age of 18. This alarming statistic underscores the pervasive issue of childhood sexual violence, which has profound and lasting impacts on its victims.

According to United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, the report, which is the first to provide global and regional estimates on sexual violence against children, points to a distressing reality that 1 in 8 girls worldwide faces such violence before reaching adulthood. When including non-contact forms of sexual violence, such as online or verbal abuse, the number affected rises to 650 million or 1 in 5 globally.

The prevalence of these violations is particularly acute in regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and Latin America, with millions suffering from the repercussions of such early trauma. The report further highlights the increased vulnerability of girls in fragile settings like conflict zones and areas with weak institutional structures where sexual violence is often used as a weapon of war.

UNICEF’s Executive Director, Catherine Russell, emphasized the critical need for comprehensive strategies to prevent and address all forms of violence against children. She stated, “Sexual violence against children is a stain on our moral conscience,” pointing to the often-trusted relationships and supposed safe environments where such abuse occurs.

The agency calls for urgent global action to combat these violations and protect children, proposing measures such as challenging harmful cultural norms, providing accessible information and support to victims, strengthening laws, and improving data collection to understand and address the full scope of the issue.