Three in 10 adults experienced abuse in childhood, study finds

Nearly a third of women in England and Wales were abused as a child, along with just over a quarter of men, according to new figures that for the first time include emotional, physical or sexual abuse as well as neglect.

- Jessica Murray Social affairs correspondent

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates 31.5% of women and 26.4% of men experienced some form of abuse as a child, a total of 13.6 million - almost three in 10 - people.

Emotional abuse was the most commonly experienced type of childhood abuse among adults (22.7%), followed by physical abuse (16.5%), sexual abuse (9.1%) and neglect (7.6%).

The ONS head of crime statistics, Meghan Elkin, said: "Child abuse is appalling in all its forms and affects some of the most vulnerable in society, but it is also something that is little discussed or understood.