(ANSA) - ROME, NOV 20 - Some 38.9% of women in Italy fear sexual abuse, Istat said in its 2022-23 report on the phenomenon Wednesday.
    Despite the feeling of insecurity decreasing, according to the Istat report, the concern of suffering sexual violence is growing, and 35.8% of both sexes fear, for themselves or their family members, of being a victim of some form of sexual abuse, a percentage that has increased by 7.1 points compared to 2015-2016.
    Women are more worried than men about sexual violence: 38.9% against 32.3%.
    Women more inclined to feel at risk, the survey added, and 19.5% of them do not go out at night for fear of being attacked.
    Citizens' perception of safety is improving, however women feel more at risk than men.
    In 2022-2023, according to the report, "the share of citizens who are very or fairly safe when they go out on foot in their area and it is dark is increasing (from 60.6% in 2015-2016 to 76% of the population)".
    Those who feel most insecure are women, the elderly and residents of metropolitan areas.
    In particular, it is emphasized, "the sense of insecurity is significantly stronger among women than among men: women are twice as likely to feel insecure when they go out alone in the evening (16.4% compared to 7.4% of men) and are approximately four times more likely to declare that they do not go out in the evening because of fear (19.5% compared to 5.3% of men). They are also more conditioned by the fear of crime (28.8% compared to 19% of men)." photo: a demo against femicide (ANSA).