Abstract
Objectives
Child sexual abuse (CSA) is considered a major risk factor for a variety of health problems both in childhood and in later adult life. While population-based surveys aim to establish the real incidence rates of CSA by interviewing potential (past) victims, agency surveys focus on the rates of CSA reported to the authorities.
Methods
We conducted a nationwide agency survey of CSA in Switzerland. Data were collected from 350 agencies through an anonymous online form during a 6-month period. For data collection, we used a modified version of the case reporting form translated from the American National Incidence Study (NIS-4).
Results
About 2.68 cases of CSA per 1,000 children per year are disclosed to agencies (1.11 in males, 4.33 in females). This is roughly twice the average incidence rate reported in methodologically similar studies from Canada, the US, and Australia.
Conclusions
In Switzerland, the majority of disclosed cases of CSA are handled by specialized yet semi-public agencies instead of public child welfare agencies or penal authorities. This fact might explain the higher disclosure rates.
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Acknowledgments
We wish to thank the agencies that participated in this study, as well as Ursula Meidert from the Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Zurich, and Jella Hoffmann from the LINK Institute, Switzerland, who helped with data collection. Special thanks are also given to Prof. Ben Jann, Institute of Sociology, University of Bern, for his advice on statistical analyses. The data presented in this paper were assessed in the context of the Optimus Study. The Optimus Study was initiated and funded by the UBS OPTIMUS FOUNDATION (http://www.optimusstudy.org).
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Maier, T., Mohler-Kuo, M., Landolt, M.A. et al. The tip of the iceberg. Incidence of disclosed cases of child sexual abuse in Switzerland: results from a nationwide agency survey. Int J Public Health 58, 875–883 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-013-0498-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-013-0498-6