Prevalence of sexual aggression among young people in Europe: A review of the evidence from 27 EU countries

•N = 113 studies on youth sexual aggression from 27 EU member states are reviewed.•Prevalence rates of female and male sexual victimization and aggression are presented.•Conceptual and methodological reasons for the variability of findings are examined.•Gaps in the knowledge base, such as attention to same-sex aggression, are identified.•Perspectives for a future research agenda on youth sexual aggression are outlined.

Sexual aggression poses a serious threat to the sexual well-being of young people. This paper documents the available evidence on the prevalence of sexual aggression perpetration and victimization from 27 EU countries, established as part of the Youth Sexual Aggression and Victimization (Y-SAV) project. A total of N = 113 studies were identified through a systematic review of the literature and consultations with experts in each country. Despite differences in the number of available studies, methodology, and sample composition, the review shows substantial prevalence rates of sexual aggression perpetration and victimization across Europe. A wide variation was found, both within and between countries. The lifetime prevalence rates of female sexual victimization, excluding childhood sexual abuse, ranged from 9 to 83%, the rates of male sexual victimization ranged from 2 to 66%, the rates of male sexual aggression ranged from 0 to 80%, and the range of female sexual aggression ranged from 0.8 to 40%. One-year prevalence rates showed a similar variability. Conceptual and methodological problems in the database are discussed, and an outline is presented for a more harmonized approach to studying the scale of sexual aggression among young people in Europe.