International Journal of Women's Health (Mar 2022)

Characteristics of Sexual Violence Against Adolescent Girls: A 10 Years’ Retrospective Study of 731 Sexually Abused Adolescents

  • Barbara G,
  • Albertini V,
  • Tagi VM,
  • Maggioni L,
  • Gorio MC,
  • Cattaneo C,
  • Parazzini F,
  • Ricci E,
  • Buggio L,
  • Kustermann A

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 14
pp. 311 – 321

Abstract

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Giussy Barbara,1,2 Valentina Albertini,3 Veronica Maria Tagi,4 Lidia Maggioni,5 Maria Carlotta Gorio,6 Cristina Cattaneo,5 Fabio Parazzini,2 Elena Ricci,2 Laura Buggio,1 Alessandra Kustermann1 1Gynecological Unit and SVSeD, Service for Sexual and Domestic Violence, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy; 2Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; 3Department of Emergencies, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy; 4Department of Paediatrics, University of Chieti, Chieti, Italy; 5Department of Biomedical Science, Legal Medicine Section, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; 6Department of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences Luigi Sacco, University of Milan, Milan, ItalyCorrespondence: Laura Buggio, Gynecological Unit and SVSeD, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Via Commenda, 12, Milan, 20122, Italy, Tel +39 02 5503 2917, Fax +39 02 50320264, Email [email protected]: Sexual violence against young girls is a pervasive multifaceted phenomenon which embraces several different forced sexual acts, including attempted and/or completed rape, sexual coercion and harassment, and sexual contact with force or threat of force. The aim of this study is to evaluate the characteristics of sexual violence in adolescent girls, by a retrospective analysis of 731 consecutive cases of sexually abused girls.Materials and Methods: We analyzed demographic characteristics, risk factors for rape, and the eventual subsequent presence and type of ano-genital lesions.Results: We found that sexual violence with penetration was perpetrated in 591 (80%) cases. Vulnerability factors related with a major risk of rape were age > 17 years old and consumption of alcohol and/or other drugs. About 196 (55%) victims had at a least one genital lesion.Conclusion: A prompt identification of red flags of sexual violence may help physicians in suspecting and managing cases of sexual assault in adolescent girls, even in the absence of typical lesions.Keywords: sexual violence, gender violence, rape, adolescent, genital lesions

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