A survey conducted by the French association Contre les violences sur mineurs (CVM) found that 63% of respondents aged 18 to 21 had experienced at least one form of sexual violence. The results, released on November 2, were based on an online questionnaire completed by 2,269 young people between March and June.
The study, called Vavisa (Vie affective et violences sexuelles à l’adolescence), was carried out with support from the Directorate General for Social Cohesion and in partnership with Ipsos BVA, Sorbonne University, Inserm and AP-HP. It brought together responses to five situations, ranging from threats to share intimate images to sexual acts experienced without consent.
The reported rate was 77% among female respondents and 50% among male respondents. Nearly 22% of those surveyed described experiences that could be classified as rape, according to the study.
The questionnaire asked about unwanted sexual experiences, unsolicited sexual images and videos, first exposure to pornography, and whether respondents had spoken to anyone about what happened. The survey’s publication coincided with the rollout of questionnaires in French schools on well-being and emotional and sexual life, an initiative intended by the government to improve prevention and detection of sexual violence.
Sources: Le Monde.