A comprehensive bill addressing sexual and gender-based violence is set to be reviewed by the National Assembly, following the Lyhanna case and the media attention surrounding the perischool scandal in Paris. These events have reignited discussions about the prevalence of sexual violence against children and adolescents. According to recent data, more than half of the sexual violence reported by women and two-thirds of that reported by men begin or occur before the age of 18. The family environment—comprising family members and close relatives—is identified as a key setting where such violence takes place. A national survey on sexual violence conducted by Inserm in 2021, commissioned by the independent commission on sexual abuse in the Catholic Church (Ciase), highlighted that the family setting is a major location for such violence. Research on incest, in particular, shows that it is a structural field for these types of violence. This challenges common perceptions of child sexual abuse, which often link the perpetrator to an unknown outsider. According to the 2023 Context of Sexuality in France survey, 29.8% of women and 8.7% of men have experienced sexual violence in their lives. Men are more likely to face such violence during childhood and adolescence due to their younger age and potentially less power in those relationships. However, women are more likely to report having experienced sexual violence before the age of 18 (13.0% compared to 5.5% for men). The youngest respondents in the study reported higher rates of sexual violence, which may reflect improved awareness and willingness to speak out rather than an actual increase in such incidents. Sexual violence against children and adolescents affects all social backgrounds, with no significant difference in exposure based on the socioeconomic status of the family. For instance, 13.4% of women whose fathers were senior managers report such violence, compared to 12.2% of women whose fathers were workers (5.8% and 5.1% for men, respectively). Sexual violence before the age of 18 involves a wide range of situations, but perpetrators are predominantly men, with more than 90% of cases involving male offenders. Research distinguishes between intrafamily violence, where the perpetrator is a family member, and parafamily violence, where the perpetrator is a family acquaintance. In both cases, the violence is often linked to power dynamics based on age, generation, and gender. According to the Inserm survey, 4.6% of women and 1.2% of men report having experienced incest before the age of 18. Family friends are also involved, with 2.2% of women and 0.7% of men reporting such violence by someone they knew through family connections. In total, 6.8% of women and 1.9% of men report intra and parafamily sexual violence. Among those who experienced sexual violence before the age of 18, 35.7% of women and 21.6% of men say the perpetrator was a family member. Another 17.1% of women and 12.5% of men report that the perpetrator was a family friend. Together, these make up 52.8% of the sexual violence experienced by girls and 34.1% by boys, underscoring the significant role of the family and its close circle in such violence. This type of violence often begins at a very young age and tends to be long-lasting. Nearly 40% of such incidents occur before the age of 11, with those involving family members or friends typically happening even earlier. When committed by a family member, the violence is more likely to be repeated over several years, while violence by family friends is less likely to be repeated compared to other situations, which are often single incidents. More than half of women (51.4%) and 39% of men who experienced sexual violence in childhood or adolescence say they have spoken about it. Younger respondents are more likely to have shared their experiences, indicating a growing openness across generations. Those who have not spoken about their experiences may have tried but found no support, as noted in the work of anthropologist Dorothée Dussy in her book on incest, The Cradle of Dominations. When individuals do speak out, they most often turn to close family members, such as parents or partners. Fewer turn to health professionals or law enforcement, a pattern that aligns with Dussy's findings that people who experience incest are often discouraged from discussing it outside the family.