Prevalence of Unwanted Sexual Experiences Jul 26
The Male Survivors Partnership (MSP), hosted by Mankind UK, commissioned Savanta to explore the prevalence of unwanted sexual experiences among UK adults. A total of 3,092 UK adults aged 18 and over took part in the survey. The sample was weighted to be representative of the UK population by age, gender, region and social grade.
Respondents were asked whether they had experienced any of 13 unwanted sexual experiences during their lifetime. This included 11 experiences that are legally defined as sexual offences, as well as 2 additional experiences that are not considered crimes. Respondents who reported experiencing one or more of these experiences were also asked about the gender of the perpetrator(s).
Key findings from the research include:
- 31% of men reported experiencing at least one of the 13 unwanted sexual experiences during their lifetime.
- 28% of men reported experiencing at least one of the 11 unwanted sexual experiences that are legally defined as sexual offences.
- 13% of men and 15% of women reported experiencing unwanted sexual activity with someone over the age of 16 while they were under the age of 16.
- Among men who reported taking part in sexual activity with someone over the age of 16 while they were under the age of 16, female perpetrators were reported more frequently (60%) than male perpetrators (26%).
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Prevalence of Unwanted Sexual Experiences
The charts below summarise the proportion of men who reported experiencing at least one unwanted sexual experience during their lifetime, alongside the proportion who reported experiencing at least one unwanted sexual experience that is legally defined as a sexual offence.
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Types of Unwanted Sexual Experiences
The chart below shows the percentage of men who reported experiencing each unwanted sexual experience during their lifetime.
Respondents could select more than one unwanted sexual experience. As a result, the percentages shown below do not total 100%.
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Gender of Perpetrators
Respondents who reported one or more unwanted sexual experiences were asked about the gender of the perpetrator(s) for each unwanted sexual experience they reported.
The table below summarises the gender of the perpetrator(s) reported by male respondents for each unwanted sexual experience. The findings show that the reported gender of perpetrator varies across different types of unwanted sexual experience.
Table: Gender of perpetrator(s) reported by male respondents
| Unwanted sexual experience | Male | Female | Multiple Males | Multiple Females | Mixed Genders |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taking part in any sexual activity with someone over 16 while you were under 16 | 26% | 60% | 1% | 6% | 2% |
| Sexual harassment (in person or online) | 42% | 34% | 2% | 6% | 9% |
| Indecent exposure ('flashing') | 41% | 38% | 6% | 3% | 3% |
| Coerced into appearing in sexual photographs or videos | 34% | 35% | 8% | 8% | 1% |
| Coerced into watching sexual videos of other people committing sexual acts | 38% | 40% | 7% | 4% | 4% |
| Sharing sexual images of you without your consent | 37% | 29% | 6% | 9% | 5% |
| Mutilation of your genitals without your consent | 30% | 31% | 10% | 13% | 3% |
| Coerced or pressured into penetrating someone else with your penis | 32% | 53% | 1% | 5% | 1% |
| Rape or non-consensual penetration of your mouth, vagina or anus with a penis | 69% | 0% | 8% | 0% | 1% |
| Assault by penetration of your vagina or anus with another object | 43% | 38% | 5% | 0% | 0% |
| Sexual assault including any other unwanted sexual touching or kissing | 39% | 39% | 3% | 7% | 6% |
| Teasing or 'body shaming' specific to your genitals | 38% | 38% | 8% | 3% | 6% |
| Another unwanted sexual experience not mentioned | 42% | 42% | 3% | 3% | 3% |
Note: Respondents could also select ‘Other’, ‘Don’t know’ or ‘Prefer not to say’ for the gender of the perpetrator(s). These categories are not shown in the table because the number of responses was too small to aid meaningful interpretation.
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Methodology
The survey was conducted online by Savanta on behalf of the Male Survivors Partnership (MSP), hosted by Mankind UK. A total of 3,350 UK adults aged 18+ were invited to take part, of whom 3,092 consented and completed the survey.
Respondents were asked whether they had experienced any of 13 unwanted sexual experiences during their lifetime and could select all experiences that applied. This included 11 experiences that are legally defined as sexual offences, together with two additional experiences that are not considered crimes. Those who reported one or more experiences were then asked about the gender of the perpetrator(s) and could select more than one response where appropriate.
Results shown on this page, including respondent totals and percentages, have been weighted to be representative of the UK population by age, gender, region and social grade. Unless otherwise stated, all figures shown are weighted results.
Full Data Set
The full survey results are available to download below and are broken down by:
- Region
- Age
- Social Grade
- Gender of Respondent
- Gender of Perpetrator/s
- Type of Experience
Download the full survey report (PDF)
If you would like csv or excel files of the full data set please email communications@mkcharity.org
