Prevalence and Severity of Childhood Family Experiences

This study examines how accurately lay people and social and health professionals estimate the prevalence of childhood family experiences occurring before age 18, and how severe they perceive these experiences to be. Participants provide prevalence forecasts using ordinal percentage categories and rate the perceived severity of each experience. Forecast accuracy is evaluated by comparing participants’ estimates with empirical prevalence benchmarks derived from nationally representative data. A smaller Finnish sample is collected as an exploratory pilot to assess comprehension and response patterns. The study aims to assess public and professional calibration to empirical prevalence and perceived seriousness of childhood family experiences.