According to the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, one in five Norwegian women has been raped at least once in their lifetime. Over half of all rapes occur among young girls under 18 years old. The report states that rape is strongly linked to psychological issues such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, substance abuse problems, and school dropout.
Girls who are raped have two to four times higher likelihood of reporting self-harm and suicide attempts. However, researchers do not know what triggers the other between rape and suicide thoughts; they cannot say that being raped triggers suicide thoughts, or vice versa. The Norwegian Institute of Public Health reports that rape cases have become more severe in the last decade, increasingly involving filming of assaults, choking, and online sexual extortion.
It is a lot that worries me here. Both how often girls are raped, and the very clear connection with self-harm and suicide attempts.
Among those who have experienced online sexual extortion, Kripos is aware of cases where lives have been lost to suicide. Assault centers are experiencing a sharp increase, with inquiries in Oslo rising by 70% over ten years, though it is unknown whether this is due to more incidents, increased reporting, or both. Only 1 in 10 victims seek help after an assault, and the dark figures are large, with the exact number of unreported rape cases remaining unclear.
Cathrine M. Lofthus, Director of the Norwegian Directorate of Health, expressed deep concern, saying, 'It is a lot that worries me here. ' She added, 'Here we as health authorities must take action immediately.
Here we as health authorities must take action immediately. We cannot have it like this.
' She stated that the development in this area in Norway is going in the wrong direction, adding, 'Yes, I would actually say that.