Not a stranger: half of the children who suffered sexual abuse were abused within the family
According to data from the "Beit LeKol Yeled" organization for 2025, only 10% of the children and teenagers treated were abused by a stranger, compared to 50% who were abused within the family and 35% by another known person. The home was the most common place where the abuse occurred.
Half of the sexual abuse cases involving children and teenagers treated at the "Beit LeKol Yeled" association in 2025 occurred within the family, and another 35% were committed by a party known to the child outside the family. Only 10% of the children and teenagers were abused by a stranger, according to the 2025 report published today (Thursday) by "Beit LeKol Yeled," one of the leading and oldest associations treating high-risk children and their families.
The report shows that 67% of the abused children and teenagers treated in 2025 were girls, and 33% were boys. The average age of the victims is 13, with the youngest being 3. Specifically, 56% of the victims were aged 13–18, 36% were 7–12, and 4% were 3–6.
The most common form of abuse was contact under clothing, accounting for 36% of cases. The annual statistical report, produced for the seventh year, is based on detailed data collection by Dvora Barda, the association's Director of Research and Development. In the seven Meital centers, about 1,200 children and teenagers were treated in 2025: 76% were victims of sexual abuse, 22% were children with inappropriate or abusive sexual behavior, and 2% were both victims and perpetrators.
Within the family, in about a quarter of cases, the abuser was the victim's sibling. Lower rates were recorded for cousins (8%), uncles (5%), and fathers (5%). Among girls, abuse within the family was more common than outside (56% vs. 41%), while among boys, abuse outside the family was more prevalent (59% vs. 44%).
Most children were abused by males (94%). The most common location for abuse was the victim's home (41%), followed by the homes of relatives or acquaintances (20%). Only 15% of cases occurred in educational, religious, or medical settings, 11% in public spaces, and 3% via social networks.
CEO Yael Stern-Gordon stated that the data is crucial for identifying professional responses and building effective prevention strategies. "The emotional therapy provided at Meital centers helps children and parents cope with trauma. The expansion of these centers by the Ministry of Welfare and Social Security allows us to provide sensitive, professional care to those who have endured complex abuse," she added.
Isabel Sari Levy, Director of the Sexual Abuse in Children and Teenagers Department at the Ministry of Welfare and Social Security, concluded: "The data highlights a hard truth: sexual abuse does not only happen in distant places or by strangers. In most cases, it is someone the child knows. Our responsibility is to strengthen the capabilities of parents and professionals to identify warning signs and act in time."
