Research has found that Australia has one of the highest rates of sexual violence against children and young people in the world.
According to a study published in The Lancet, nearly 28 per cent of Australian girls and 17 per cent of boys have experienced sexual violence before the age of 18.
These figures are significantly higher than the global averages of 19 per cent for girls and 15 per cent for boys.
So, why is Australia’s sexual abuse rate so high?
On Tuesday morning’s episode of The Briefing, Sexual Crime Expert Brent Sanders joined us to unpack the issue.
Researchers emphasise that these figures likely understate the true scale of the problem, as sexual violence is often under-reported.
Sanders said he has spent 40 per cent of his time over the years delivering corporate training on sexual harassment, discrimination, and bullying.
Over the past 25 years, he has found that sexual harassment has consistently been the most common form of inappropriate workplace behaviour.
“It still is today in 2025. We’ve reduced a lot of that behavior and conduct, but it’s still the most common,” he said.
Sanders also explained that criminal psychologists and psychiatrists working in the prison system often label sexual offenders as “compensatory offenders”.
He said those individuals commit sexual offences as a way to continually compensate for a “lifelong perception of being inadequate”.
“When we look at the profile of serial sex offenders, they will always, always, always seek out a target that they believe will be submissive towards them.”
If you or anyone you know needs help, support is available now.
1800RESPECT
National Helpline on 1800 737 732
The Men’s Referral Service 1300 766 491
The Women’s Crisis Line on 1800 811 811
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