Lifetime Prevalence of Sexual Violence and Associated Sociodemographic Factors: Results From a Pioneer Investigation in Kuwait

The current study aims to investigate the lifetime prevalence of sexual violence (SV) for the first time, to identify the main patterns of SV exposure, to examine the correlations between SV and sociodemographic characteristics, and to explore the sources of help-seeking used by victims in a nationally representative sample of Kuwaitis. The study employed a cross-sectional design, utilizing a non-probability, voluntary response sample of 5,029 participants who completed a paper survey. The findings revealed that 32.7% of the total sample had been victims of some types of SV at least once in their lifetime, and 20% of participants experienced SV more than once. Results showed significant associations between SV and gender, nationality, monthly income, employment status, social status, education level, religion, and cultural background. For both genders, the abuser was of the opposite sex, older, and a stranger to the victim, and victims often chose to do nothing in response to the SV experience. Implications are discussed, including the need for culturally oriented community sensitization programs and strengthening protective laws and policies against sexual violence.