# Adolescent Sexual Violence in the Digital Era: A Case-Based Medico-Legal Study

## TL;DR

This study explores how digital technologies influence cases of adolescent sexual violence and emphasizes the need for a comprehensive medico-legal approach.

## Contribution

The study introduces a medico-legal analysis of adolescent sexual violence, emphasizing the role of digital practices in victimization.

## Key findings

- Digital tools play a role in various stages of adolescent sexual violence cases.
- Victims often experience significant psychological and social impacts despite minimal physical evidence.
- A comprehensive medico-legal approach is needed to address the digital dimension of these cases.

## Abstract

The rapid expansion of digital technologies has profoundly altered the contexts in which adolescents are exposed to certain forms of violence. Based on a six-month retrospective medico-legal study, this work examines cases of sexual violence involving minors, focusing on the role played by digital practices in the occurrence and progression of the events. The analysis reveals a range of configurations in which digital tools intervene at different stages of victimization trajectories. Psychological and social impact was frequently substantial, often contrasting with limited or absent physical findings at clinical examination. These findings highlight the relevance of a comprehensive medico-legal approach that systematically integrates the digital dimension in order to improve the identification and understanding of these complex situations among adolescents.