Consequences of sexual violence
An update of this section is due in 2025.
The consequences of sexual assault are complex and difficult to document. Victim studies reveal the difficulties experienced by people who have been sexually assaulted compared to their non-assaulted counterparts. However, most of these studies do not allow these difficulties to be attributed to the sexual assault alone.
- Sexual assault in childhood or adulthood impacts not only the victim, but also the victim’s family and friends as well as society as a whole. In this regard, sexual assault is a public health problem that concerns everyone.
- Sexual assault has numerous potential consequences that can last a lifetime and span generations, with serious adverse effects on health, education, employment, crime, and the economic well-being of individuals, families, communities and societies.