How Common Are Harmful Sexual Behaviours?

Much like identifying the prevalence of child sexual abuse within the community, it is difficult to measure the prevalence of harmful sexual behaviour in the Australian population. This is partly due to varying definitions of what constitutes harmful sexual behaviour, but also due to the secrecy within which child sexual abuse occurs regardless of who is causing the harm. Here is a summary of the prevalence data and information that is available 1 2 3 4:

The occurrence of harmful sexual behaviour in the general population of children and young people is relatively rare, occurring in roughly 5% of the Australian adolescent population.
Harmful sexual behaviour initiated by 'known peers' aged under the age of 18 years is the most common form of child sexual abuse.
Only around 1% of the general adolescent population face criminal charges for sexual offences.
Data sources indicate that children who have displayed harmful sexual behaviour are more often male.
Australian studies have found that after treatment, only between 3-7% of youth reoffended.