Over half of the 1.7 million people aged 16 and over in the Netherlands who experienced sexual intimidation last year did not know the perpetrator, according to figures released by Statistics Netherlands (CBS). In contrast, victims of sexual violence often knew their assailant.

The data, collected in 2024, reveals that sexual intimidation, encompassing comments and gestures, is more widespread than sexual violence. Over 1.2 million individuals reported experiencing offline sexual intimidation, while more than 760,000 encountered abuse online. Approximately 520,000 people endured some form of physical sexual violence.

Among victims of sexual intimidation who knew the perpetrator (18%), the most common relationships were casual acquaintances, people met online, or individuals encountered during a night out. Dates accounted for 11% of perpetrators, while colleagues and close friends represented 17% and 12%, respectively.

In cases of sexual violence, victims most often identified their assailants as someone they knew. The most frequently mentioned perpetrators were acquaintances, individuals met at parties, dates, close friends, colleagues, partners, and former partners.

The statistics also highlight a gender disparity in perpetrators. In 90% of cases where women experienced sexual intimidation, the perpetrator was male, compared to 39% of men. Conversely, 43% of male victims reported that the perpetrator was female. The CBS noted that the male respondent data may be incomplete due to a relatively high number of unanswered questions.