FAQ

ZEFSG stands for the Centre's German name “Zentrum für Forschung zu sexueller Gewalt an Kindern und Jugendlichen” – in English, that's “Centre for Research on Sexual Violence against Children and Adolescents”.

The ZEFSG receives funding from the “Independent Federal Commissioner Against Child Sexual Abuse (UBSKM)”, who commissions the Centre to conduct nationwide representative surveys of young people.

„UBSKM“ stands for the Office’s German name “Unabhängige Bundesbeauftragte gegen sexuellen Missbrauch von Kindern und Jugendlichen” – in English, that’s the “Independent Federal Commissioner Against Child Sexual Abuse”.

The UBSKM (Independent Federal Commissioner Against Child Sexual Abuse) is the Federal Government's Office that advocates for protecting children and adolescents against sexualised violence.

They are tasked with:

• explaining, informing and making people aware of sexualised violence against children and adolescents,

• developing and supporting sustainable concepts for improving protection against sexualised violence against children and adolescents and to better help survivors,

• identifying the need for legal action and researching gaps in the field of sexualised violence against children and adolescents,

• attending to the concerns of people who were exposed to sexualised violence during their childhood or adolescence,

• ensuring systematic and independent inquiries into child sexual abuse in Germany. 

The office of the UBSKM was established by law in 2025. Purely in organisational terms, the office is based at the Federal Ministry of Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth.

The Act to Strengthen the Structures against Sexual Violence against Children and Adolescents obliges the Independent Federal Commissioner Against Child Sexual Abuse (UBSKM), in each legislative period, to prepare a report on the extent of sexual violence against children and adolescents and its consequences, as well as on the current state of prevention, intervention, help, support and processing of past abuse cases, and to submit it to the German Parliament, the Bundesrat (Federal Council) and the Federal Government.

At the recommendation of the National Council against Sexual Violence against Children and Adolescents, the UBSKM established the ZEFSG, which is tasked with regularly conducting nationwide representative surveys of young people on the prevalence of sexual violence in their childhood and adolescence. The analysis of the survey data serves as an essential foundation for its statutory reporting.

The ZEFSG is commissioned by the “Independent Federal Commissioner Against Child Sexual Abuse (UBSKM)” to regularly conduct nationwide representative surveys of young people on the extent, prevalence and context of offences regarding cases of sexual violence, as well as other forms of violence such as physical or psychological. In addition, the ZEFSG gathers knowledge and develops expertise regarding the various forms of violence.

The ZEFSG is home to researchers from a range of disciplines, including psychology, sociology and education. You can learn more about the team here.

The ZEFSG is currently based at the German Youth Institute in Munich. The ZEFSG worked alongside Ulm University Hospital and the IEA survey institute.

The ZEFSG receives substantive advice and input from a Survivors’ Advisory Committee, a Youth Advisory Committee and an Expert Advisory Committee.

Yes, the ZEFSG incorporates the perspectives of adult survivors through the Survivors’ Advisory Committee, which is involved all stages of the ZEFSG's work. Survivors will also contribute as co-researchers at Ulm University Hospital.

The ZEFSG does not directly offer counselling or support services. If you need help or require counselling on the topic of sexual violence, it is best to contact the Sexual Abuse Help Line at +49 800 225 5530. You can find further support services on our website in the “Help” section.

Wir legen großen Wert auf eine inklusive und respektvolle Sprache. Auf dieser Website verwenden wir jedoch ausnahmsweise keine Sonderzeichen wie * oder _, um geschlechtliche Vielfalt auszudrücken. Der Hintergrund ist, dass in manchen Bundesländern die Nutzung solcher Zeichen im schulischen Kontext nicht gestattet ist.
Da unsere Schulbefragung nur mit Zustimmung der jeweiligen Kultusministerien durchgeführt werden kann, orientieren wir uns in der sprachlichen Gestaltung an den formalen Vorgaben der Bundesländer. Um eine Beteiligung aller Bundesländer an der Studie zu ermöglichen, verwenden wir daher durchgängig binäre Formulierungen (z. B. „Schülerinnen und Schüler“). Wir bitten um Verständnis für diese Entscheidung.

The "Safe!" study is a nationwide representative survey of students on the prevalence of sexual violence and other forms of violence among young people in Germany. The survey aims to gather current data on the prevalence of sexual violence and related forms such as physical or psychological abuse.

To achieve this, a total of 10,000 9th-grade students at randomly selected general education schools all across Germany will be surveyed using a questionnaire.

In Germany, there is currently no available nationwide, representative data on the prevalence of violence in childhood and adolescence that have been collected by surveying young people.

The ZEFSG is conducting the study in cooperation with Ulm University Hospital and the IEA survey institute. The study was reviewed by Ulm University Hospital’s Ethics Committee.

The "Safe!" study surveys will be conducted between August and December 2026. Exact dates and times will be communicated by the schools in due course.

Across Germany, schools have been randomly selected to take part in the study. In these schools, all 9th-grade students will be invited to take the survey. Other students and schools will not be able to participate.

No, participation is entirely voluntary. Consent to participate in the survey can be withdrawn at any time.

The majority of German studies are based on adults’ accounts of their childhood experiences. In the "Safe!" study, we are surveying young people on their current, first-hand experiences in order to understand and record the situation today. This is particularly crucial when it comes to developing suitable protection and prevention measures.

The schools will share information materials about the study with all parents and guardians. Before the day of the survey, a signed consent form must be submitted to the responsible teacher in order for a child to be able to participate.

On the day of the survey, trained staff from the IEA institute will be present at the schools. Before the survey begins, participants will be shown a film explaining children’s rights and the forms of violence. The students will take part in the survey using a digital device (e.g. smartphone, tablet). Where possible, they will use their own personal device but, alternatively, a device will be provided to them by the school or the survey institute.

If feasible, a local or regional counselling centre will also be involved and on site on the day. Telephone support services and online advice are also available.

By giving consent, the school agrees to actively support with recruiting its pupils to participate in the survey and to provide the necessary time and facilities for conducting the survey.

The school will be asked to pass on information materials from the ZEFSG to the parents and guardians and to collect signed consent forms. On the day of the survey, the school will need to ensure that only students who have returned a signed consent form are present in the survey area.

The day of the survey will be planned in close cooperation with the survey institute staff, with the aim of minimising the burden placed on the school as much as possible. There is flexibility around the date and times for the survey, the number of students surveyed and any potential grouping, as well as the facilities used, and all can be adapted to the school’s needs.

Where possible, surveys will be conducted during regular school hours in order to allow as many students as possible to participate.

Students who do not participate in the survey will be supervised by a teacher or another responsible person at the school while the surveys are conducted.

There are questions about psychological, physical and sexual violence, neglect and passive (observed) violence. If participants indicate that they have experienced any of these forms of violence, questions will then be asked about the perpetrators and about when this occurred.

In order to better support survivors of violence, there will also be questions about whether they discussed these experiences with anyone, or chose not to, and why.

With regard to the consequences of violence, there are questions about general health and wellbeing.

The questionnaire is only available in German.

No, participation is only possible if the school has received written consent to the conditions of the survey.

Children must be at least 14 years old to participate in the survey.

Previous studies show that children and adolescents do not feel greatly distressed by surveys on experiences of violence, and often even feel a sense of relief. However, confronting distressing life events can temporarily lead to increased psychological tension. These risks are addressed through the following preventative and supportive measures:

• The possibility of professional counselling on site, as well as the presence of a designated school contact person for support
• The UBSKM's free and anonymous helpline (+49 800 225 5530) and the „Schreib Ollie“(www.schreib-ollie.de) online counselling service, which is funded by the UBSKM
• No surveys on Fridays
• Preventative sensitivity training among the school staff involved 
• Comprehensive, topic-specific training undertaken by the survey institute staff

The data will be anonymously collected and scientifically analysed. The findings will be included in the report drawn up by the Independent Federal Commissioner Against Child Sexual Abuse (UBSKM) and shared with the German Parliament, the Bundesrat (Federal Council) and the Federal Government. The results will also be published in professional journals, and the anonymous research data are made available in an accredited research data centre for further scientific research. It will not be possible to trace anything back to an individual student or person.

All "Safe!" study and ZEFSG data are handled strictly in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

All data collected from the young people are stored anonymously, without recording names or IP addresses. The data are stored securely (encrypted) and protected from access by unauthorised third parties. All staff involved in the "Safe!" study are trained in handling sensitive data.