New estimates suggest over a third of children and teens in the United States have experienced a physical assault within the past year, and many more have been exposed to other types of violence and sexual harassment.
Researchers analyzed data for over 4,000 children and adolescents aged 17 or younger through the National Survey of Children's Exposure to Violence (NatSCEV) , and found the rates of physical assault are surprisingly high, the JAMA Network Journals reported.
The findings showed 40.9 percent of children and youths had more than on direct experience with violence, crime, or abuse; 10.1 percent had six or more and 1.2 percent had a whopping 10 or more. Physical assault from either siblings or a peers were experienced by 37.3 percent of the participants, 9.3 percent of which inflicted injuries.
About 5 percent of the individuals looked at in the study experienced a sexual offense, and 1.4 percent a sexual assault. Girls between the ages of 14 and 17 had the highest risk of sexual assault, with 16.4 percent experiencing a sexual offense and 4.6 percent experiencing direct abuse. In this group, 4.4 percent were subjected to an attempted or completed rape, 11.5 percent experienced sexual harassment, and 8.5 percent were exposed to unwanted Internet sexual solicitation.
The study also showed 15.2 percent of children and adolescents experienced maltreatment at the hands of a caregiver, and 5 percent of these cases were classified as physical abuse. A total of 24.5 percent witnessed violence within their family or community, and 8.4 percent witnessed a family assault.
"Children and youth are exposed to violence, abuse and crime in varied and extensive ways, which justifies continued monitoring and prevention efforts," the study concluded,
The findings were published in a recent edition of the journal JAMA Pediatrics.
