Survey in Japan Finds One in Ten Young People Have Suffered Molestation Offenses

In a survey looking into groping incidents and similar offenses, conducted by Japan’s Cabinet Office, approximately 10% of the respondents, young people aged between 16 and 29, said they had been the victim of such acts. This is the first time the government has conducted a survey that focuses on chikan, a crime where molestation and other obscene acts are committed without consent (the word is also used for the perpetrators).

The survey was carried out in two stages in February 2024, based on a policy package formulated in March 2023 by the Cabinet Office, National Police Agency, and other organizations, aiming to eradicate molestation. Of the 36,231 people who took the screening survey, 13.6% of women and 3.6% of men stated that they had been the victims of chikan.

At 62.8%, the most common location for the crime was “on the train,” with a further 7.2% happening “in a railway station.” Other locations included “on the street” (13.0%) and “commercial facilities (shopping malls, etc.)” (4.3%). At 73.6%, the most common type of molestation was being “touched over clothing,” followed by 29.7% where perpetrators “pushed their body up close.”

The majority of people were unable to react while being molested, with 42.7% saying “it was so sudden I couldn’t do anything,” 32.5% who were “too scared to move,” and 30.3% who “endured it.”

Looking at the kind of help that was given when victims asked people nearby or when others noticed an act of molestation was occurring, those who “helped me to physically move away” or “spoke to me” accounted for more than 30% each. Some people took more direct action, with 14.7% who “pressured the offender to stop” and 9.6% who “caught the offender.” On the other hand, in 22.4% of cases, bystanders “did nothing.”

Even though they were the victim of molestation, 80.4% did not report the incident to the police, rail staff, or other relevant authority. Reasons for not notifying the police included 44.6% who “didn’t want to turn it into a serious matter” and 38.7% who “felt it wasn’t important enough to report.”

(Translated from Japanese. Banner photo © Pixta.)