Female Victims Research Articles

A prospective study on the sexual victimization of adolescent females by romantic partners and the relationship to the age gap between the partners

Introduction: According to statistics, 70% of reported rape cases had happened with the willingness of the female partner, where the law enforcement authorities have charged as the victim is below 16 years. This study evaluated the sexual victimization of such females by their partners in relation to the age gap between the couple.Methodology: This is a descriptive study of 63 female victims of sexual assault aged 12 to 16 years, presented to the National Hospital Kandy during a one-year period. The sample was divided into three groups according to the age gap between the victim and perpetrator (P1; 0 to 5.9 years, P2; 6 to 11.9 years and P3; 12 to 18 years)Results: The age gap of the couples ranged from 1.8 to 17.7 years, with a mean of 9.5 years and 49% belonging to P2. The percentage of couples engaging in sexual relations with penile penetration was higher with an increasing age gap. In P1, 71% had willingly engaged in sexual activity, while it was only 45% and 44% in P2 and P3 respectively. Furthermore, in P3, 30% of the victims had allowed the alleged sexual act following intimidation, but it was not observed in P1. This study revealed that within a month of courtship sexual activity had occurred in 55% of cases in P3 while it was 32% in P2 and, only 21% in P1. In P3, 11% had engaged in sexual activity on the first encounter, whereas it was not observed in P1 and P2.Conclusion: With the increasing age gap, the vulnerability to sexual victimization of female adolescents by partners is more prevalent. Therefore, considering the age gap between partners may be more justifiable than adhering to a fixed age of consent to prosecute and punish in cases of sexual assault of adolescent females. Hence, it is evident that the application of the “Romeo and Juliet exemption” to the Sri Lankan setup is timely and justifiable.

The role of NGOs in support of women acid survivors in Pakistan: a comparative analysis

This study evaluates the acid attacks survivor women of Pakistan. Therefore, a growing number of acid burn violence is like a black spot in the face of Pakistan. This study's main objective is to compare and contrast NGOs' roles and help in supporting their female victims. Hence, many NGOs in Pakistan worked in this area; however, this study only focuses on two well-known NGOs, i.e., the Acid Survivor Foundation (ASF) and the Depilex Smile Again Foundation (DSAF). It investigates how these organisations help and support female acid survivors as well as which organisations more effectively work in this regard. A qualitative method was used to analyse reports from 2006 to 2023. Secondary sources were also used. The study examined that both organisations provide them with psycho-socio, financial and legal assistance, medical treatments and shelter homes. However, DSAF is playing a more active role in supporting their victims. It sends more complicated cases of female sufferers to foreign doctors for their successful surgeries. Moreover, it empowers female victims through education, provides professional training, offers jobs and sends able female victims to foreign countries to highlight their abilities. It also spends a heavy expenditure on their weddings.

The impact of experiencing sexual violence against women in Sidoarjo city

Cases of sexual violence are increasingly widespread and alarming in the era of globalization. Sexual violence is common among women and has reached epidemic levels, affecting more than a third of women worldwide. The problems and consequences of sexual violence can lead to various conditions that interfere with women's mental and physical health. The purpose of this study is to identify the impact experienced by women after experiencing sexual violence. The research method used was a qualitative method with a phenomenological approach. The research was conducted for three months (February-April 2023) in Sidoarjo City, East Java. Data collection techniques used in-depth interviews obtained from 8 informants, including female victims of sexual violence and the Regional Technical Implementation Unit for the Protection of Women and Children (UPTD PPA) of Sidoarjo City. The data analysis technique used thematic analysis consisting of identifying, analyzing, and reporting patterns (themes) found in the data and presenting them in detail and thoroughly. The results showed that the consequences of sexual violence caused women to experience unsafe abortion, unwanted pregnancy, bipolar, anxiety and fear disorders, sleep disorders, symptoms of psychosis, self-harm, and negative behavioral changes such as suicide attempts, smoking and drinking behavior, and sexual intercourse habits. Meanwhile, positive changes experienced include getting closer to God, trying to be productive, and evaluating and improving themselves.

Forensic approach towards criminal use of mercury in domestic violence

The prevalence of criminal cases against women is not first-hand with statistical data from the National Crime Records Bureau in India proclaiming an even rise in cases of domestic violence. Despite numerous laws to protect women against various crimes including rape, sexual harassment, dowry death, etc., there is less respite from violence toward women in India. Indian society needs to stand up and address the existence of many socio-cultural reasons for crime against women apart from literacy to lower these crime statistics. Forensic experts play a pivotal role in the scientific examination of evidence to support the criminal justice system which in the end affects the lives of millions of female victims. A case of attempted domestic homicide is presented wherein a 21-year-old married female was poisoned with some unknown substance laced in her milk by her in-laws. This case is of interest to the scientific community as well as to persons working within the medical and judiciary fraternity.Case history: A married woman aged 21 years alleged her in-laws including her husband of attempt to murder her by giving her milk laced with some unknown substance. She had severe vomiting after drinking milk where she noticed some shining materials in the vomitus. The vomitus and the gastric lavage were analyzed subsequently.Methodology: Physical and Chemical Examinations including visual analysis and solubility, odour, etc were initially conducted on the exhibits (Gastric Lavage and Vomitus samples) and results were further confirmed by Atomic Absorption Spectrometry.Results: An abnormally high level of mercury i.e. 9.88 ppm and 332.15 ppm were detected in Gastric lavage and vomitus respectively.Conclusion: The various scientific investigations determined that the female had been poisoned by using mercury justifying the essential role of forensics in linking shreds of evidence scientifically.

From harasser tourists to above the law managers: female tour guides strategies for coping with sexual harassment

PurposeThis study examines how far female tour guides in Egypt experience sexual harassment and how they cope with it.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative research method is employed, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 32 full-time female tour guides working for several travel agencies in Egypt. Thematic analysis was used to extract the main ideas from the transcripts.FindingsThe findings show that female tour guides in Egypt would encounter annoying gender harassment mostly from tourists they serve, and they might suffer from irresponsible behavior – gender harassment, unwanted sexual harassment, and sexual coercion – from their local managers. When facing sexual harassment, female tour guides usually tend to adopt one of the following three coping strategies: (a) indifference to sexual harassment they encounter, (b) heroism by taking legal action when exposed to sexual harassment or (c) fatalism by taking inconsequential action such as complaining the harasser to his direct manager or filling in an official complaint inside their workplace. The selection of the coping strategy is usually based on the female victim's personality and the organizational and social context she adapts to.Originality/valueThis paper contributes by filling a gap in tourism, human resources management and gender studies in which empirical studies on the sexual harassment that female tour guides encounter, particularly in non-Western contexts, have been limited so far.

Barriers to Safety Planning for Female Victims of Domestic Violence in Canadian Rural, Remote, and Northern Communities

Barriers to Safety Planning for Female Victims of Domestic Violence in Canadian Rural, Remote, and Northern Communities

Sexual Harassment at Workplace: Awareness Among Employer And Employees In Pekan, Pahang


 Most sexual harassment cases in the workplace go unreported because the victims are unaware of what constitutes sexual harassment. They may have remained silent due to embarrassment and fear of losing their jobs and consequently had to suffer in silence. This qualitative study seeks to investigate the current issues of sexual harassment in the workplace in Pekan, Pahang, as well as the level of awareness among employers and employees regarding the matter. In addition to identifying the current policy used in the workplace, one of the specific objectives of this research is to identify the types of conduct that constitute sexual harassment and to propose solutions for sexual harassment in the workplace. Interviews, existing documents, and a questionnaire were analysed using a triangulation technique for the data collection. Thirty respondents from public and private companies in Pekan, Pahang, provided data. Six participants were invited to share their experiences with sexual harassment in the workplace. To ensure the reliability and validity of this qualitative research, the four criteria, which are credibility, transferability, conformability, and authenticity, are evaluated. The researcher transcribed the interview data before qualitative thematic coding analysis. The themes presented in the research are sexual perpetrators in the workplace, awareness, female victims from non-management, and the victim's emotions and actions in response to sexual harassment. In the meantime, the subthemes are the victim's experience with sexual harassment and employer and employee awareness regarding sexual harassment in the workplace.

Gender-Based Violence in Bosnia From Conflict to The Post-Conflict Setting

This review article aims to investigate gender-based violence in wartime and post-war Bosnia. While the existing literature exclusively focuses on the relationship between gender and nationalism, this article rather addresses the psychological and economic violence against women in Bosnia. By adopting a continuum approach, this study uncovers how different forms of violence against women interact with each other from the conflict to the post-conflict contexts. Through a literature survey, this study depicts how gender-based violence has been reproduced from past to present in the case of Bosnia. In discussing gender-based violence, it dwells upon the intersections between mass rapes, forced pregnancy and traumatization. As the main argument, this article contends that sexual violence during the war triggered the spiral of violence and further led to stigmatization and marginalization of these women in the post-war context. It is especially argued that the persistent public stigma is the most blatant manifestation of psychological violence against female rape victims. In addition, it is shown that the overlapping processes of conflict, patriarchy and neoliberalization have led to a series of economic injustices, such as, in the form of the dispossession, poverty and exclusion of women in Bosnia. This article overall suggests establishing linkages between sexual, psychological and economic violence against women during the conflict and post-conflict processes.

The proactive-reactive classification of intimate partner violence offenders: A multi-method approach to classification.

Men who commit violence against an intimate partner differ in their motives. Classifying the proactivity of men's partner violence may reveal important differences that could be treatment targets. To examine the differences between proactive and reactive partner violence based on coded descriptions of past violent events. Community cohabiting couples reporting intimate partner violence were recruited via advertisements. Men and women were independently interviewed about past male-to-female violent events. The narratives of a male perpetrator and a female victim were coded using a Proactive-Reactive coding system, yielding three categories of violence: reactive, mixed proactive/reactive and proactive. The three categories were compared for differences in personality disorder features, attachment, psychophysiological reactivity during a conflict discussion task, and a self- and partner report of men's proactive and reactive aggressive tendencies. The results revealed a 54% classification agreement between perpetrator and victim reports. No differences were found on personality or attachment measures between the groups regardless of gender of the reporter. Reactive violence was related to a tendency to self-report more reactive aggression and higher heart rate reactivity during a laboratory conflict discussion compared to the group reporting both proactive and reactive violent incidents. This study suggests that a coding system for intimate partner violence can be applied to community volunteers, and it is a reliable report and valid. However, there are discrepancies when the coding is based on the perpetrator or victim reports.

Intimate Partner Violence Determinants in Botswana: A Case of Male Survivors

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious social problem, which affects millions of men. Historically, intimate partner violence has been considered a female victim issue and the concept of female victims is much more recognized in the general population than the concept of male victims. IPV against men is a phenomenon that has received little attention in the academic literature and the media around the world. This paper explores the determinants of Intimate Partner Violence and uses social learning theory to examine dynamics surrounding IPV in male survivors by identifying major areas, and significant players in the male’ survivors’ life that can help understand factors that put them at risk of IPV, which could be entry points for interventions and mitigation strategies. Desk review was used and focused on the current state of knowledge on the determinants and men’s experiences of IPV. Since governments have an obligation to serve all citizens, there is a need to widen the scope of social policy in this area. Governments should continue developing policies with the explicit objective of responding to, preventing, and ending violence against both women and men. However, gender-based analysis approaches to IPV need to consider the impacts of violence on all genders and develop policy-relevant responses to the needs of each, men, and women. Additionally, the study points to the need for research that may be wider in scope, cover more geographical areas and document the experiences of men as victims of IPV. Expand research on male survivors of IPV by encouraging more inclusive research designs that investigate patterns of IPV across the gender spectrum.

Debunking the normalisation of sexual violence on screen through #MeToo movement: The case of Hollywood films

This study examines the denormalisation of sexual violence against women in the #MeToo movement-themed Hollywood films. The strong presence of the social-political #MeToo movement in the past decade has influenced Hollywood films. The movement plays a major role in increasing public awareness of how devastating sexual abuse is against women and in challenging the current patriarchal system in society. This study uses descriptive research methods and adopts thematic analysis to critically analyse the denormalisation of sexual violence against women in Hollywood films with the #MeToo movement as their theme. This research used three Hollywood films as the units of analyses: On the Record, Athlete A, and Bombshell. This study found that these films are essential in denormalising sexual violence against women on screen. The findings show the three important characteristics shared among these three films. First, they shed light on the existence of the power imbalance between the perpetrators and victims. Second, they show the transformation of female victims of sexual violence into feminist figures. Last, they denormalise sexual abuse. The findings benefit academics who are interested in movie and gender studies as well as practitioners who promote gender equality and women’s rights.Keywords : Hollywood film; the #MeToo Movement; Sexual Violence; Denormalisation of Sexual Violence

Using machine learning-based systems to help predict disengagement from the legal proceedings by women victims of intimate partner violence in Spain.

Intimate partner violence against women (IPVW) is a pressing social issue which poses a challenge in terms of prevention, legal action, and reporting the abuse once it has occurred. However, a significant number of female victims who file a complaint against their abuser and initiate legal proceedings, subsequently, withdraw charges for different reasons. Research in this field has been focusing on identifying the factors underlying women victims' decision to disengage from the legal process to enable intervention before this occurs. Previous studies have applied statistical models to use input variables and make a prediction of withdrawal. However, none have used machine learning models to predict disengagement from legal proceedings in IPVW cases. This could represent a more accurate way of detecting these events. This study applied machine learning (ML) techniques to predict the decision of IPVW victims to withdraw from prosecution. Three different ML algorithms were optimized and tested with the original dataset to assess the performance of ML models against non-linear input data. Once the best models had been obtained, explainable artificial intelligence (xAI) techniques were applied to search for the most informative input features and reduce the original dataset to the most important variables. Finally, these results were compared to those obtained in the previous work that used statistical techniques, and the set of most informative parameters was combined with the variables of the previous study, showing that ML-based models had a better predictive accuracy in all cases and that by adding one new variable to the previous work's predictive model, the accuracy to detect withdrawal improved by 7.5%.

Female-to-Male Sexual Assault: The Role of the Perpetrator's Attractiveness and Attributed Emotional States on Victim Blame.

This study investigated the effect of the victim's gender and the perpetrator's attractiveness on the observer's blame on the male and female victims of coercive sexual contact. Two hundred and ninety-six participants (184 females) were enrolled in an experiment in which the victim's gender and the offender's attractiveness were manipulated using vignettes depicting cross-gender sexual assault. Participants rated emotions that the victims experienced in being assaulted and attributed victim blame. The results indicate that the male victim was blamed more than the female victim, especially when the female perpetrator was described as attractive. The female victim was perceived as having experienced more negative emotions and fewer positive emotions than the male victim. The effect of the victim's gender on victim blaming was mediated by both positive and negative emotions.

Learning to see, learning to say, and learning to eradicate domestic violence in China

China’s first-ever, national Anti-Domestic Violence Law (henceforth, the Law) took effect in March 2016. The enactment of the Law was perceived by members of the general public as a solid step, taken by the Chinese government, both to protect the legal rights and interests of victims of gender-based violence (especially female victims) and also to establish domestic violence as a serious socio-legal problem deserving of greater public (especially political) attention. In this article, I choose to primarily focus on one specific type of domestic violence – gender-based violence within a current or former romantic relationship that causes harms to those in the relationship. I aim to identify and examine the limitations with this still recent Law in particular, and the criminal justice approach in general that China has been adopting to stop gender-based violence. Based upon an analysis of a very recent high-profile case of gender-based violence and five annual evaluation reports on the implementation of the Law, I lean to the conclusion that without transforming the socio-cultural context, no domestic violence legislation can effectively address gender-based violence and enhance the wellbeing of Chinese women.

Violent Victimization During Childhood in the United States: Associations With Revictimization and Health.

Childhood violence victimization is a serious adverse childhood experience with lasting health impacts. This study examined the prevalence and characteristics of five forms of childhood violence victimization and their association with revictimization and negative health conditions among adults. Data are from the 2010-2012 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey. Age at first victimization and perpetrator sex were assessed; adjusted odds ratios assessed associations with revictimization and health. Ages 14-17 were the most common age at first victimization for most violence types; almost half of male (46.7%) and a quarter of female (27.0%) rape victims reported first victimization before age 10. Most victimization was associated with revictimization and negative health, controlling for adult victimization. Primary prevention of childhood violence may reduce later health risks.

Symbolic effects of representative bureaucracy in policing: An experimental replication in a Korean context

AbstractThis study experimentally examines the effect of gender representation of a police organization responsible for handling domestic violence, and how this impacts Korean citizens' views toward the police. Findings show that male participants gave the highest ratings of legitimacy and fairness when the organization is equally represented by men and women, while gave low ratings of legitimacy and efficacy to the organization where women are over‐represented. This implies that achieving gender balance in job assignments helps ensure the effectiveness of representative bureaucracy. On the other hand, female participants rated organization with equal representation positively only when they also demonstrated a high level of active representation for female victims. Given heightened gender conflict within Korean policing, female citizens might try to maintain objectivity about female officers.

Formal and Informal Services Used by Women Who Suffer Intimate Partner Violence in Spain.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is an important public health problem. Female victims of IPV do not always use the institutional resources available to them. We conducted a cross-sectional study using data from the Spanish 2014 Macro-Survey on Violence Against Women. The findings show that 15% of the survey participants suffered from IPV in the last year. The factors associated with a higher probability of suffering IPV are being of non-Spanish nationality, being a student, having a low-educational level, having no income, being the household head, and not having a current partner. Regarding the resources used by women subjected to IPV, almost half resorted to informal sources, such as female friends and/or their own mothers. The use of formal resources was low. Therefore, IPV continues to be a problem in Spain that seems to remain in the private domain. Consequently, it is necessary to increase the availability of and access to legal resources.

Combatting Rape Myth Acceptance in United States' Criminal Justice System with Behavioral Economics

Using behavioral economics, this paper aims to analyze how rape myth acceptance presents itself in the form of numerous heuristics and biases throughout various stages of the United States’ criminal justice process that a sexual assault case must progress through. Due to the availability heuristic, inaccurate representation of sexual assault in the media promotes rape myth acceptance (RMA) among the general public, including potential jurors and law enforcement officers. Resultantly, police officers’ decision-making processes while investigating sexual assault reports implicitly discriminate female victims as officers struggle with the downstream orientation phenomenon.. In the trial stage, jurors utilize the representativeness heuristic to process complex case information by comparing the rape victim to a mental prototype shaped by rape myths. This hinders the jurors’ human information processing capabilities. Solutions to rape myth acceptance in the United States’ criminal justice system will be described in order to battle the high attrition rate of sexual assault cases.

The Crime of Trafficking in Persons with the Mode of Becoming a Female Worker

Law enforcement against the criminal act of trafficking in persons with the mode of becoming a female worker occurs very often in Indonesia so this research was carried out using an empirical juridical research method because this research aims to determine law enforcement for female victims of trafficking in persons. Obstacles in law enforcement against female workers show: 1) Law enforcement against perpetrators of the crime of trafficking in persons with victims of labor is in accordance with applicable law. Even though in law enforcement against perpetrators and victims who have reconciled, the legal process is not at the level of the prosecutor's office (prosecution process). 2) The police as a law enforcement agency in the process of enforcing the law on the criminal act of trafficking in persons also considers the value of justice

Surveillance for Violent Deaths — National Violent Death Reporting System, 48 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, 2020

Surveillance for Violent Deaths — National Violent Death Reporting System, 48 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, 2020