Nature Of Sexual Violence Research Articles

Factors affecting female external genital findings in child sexual assault victims

ABSTRACT The presence of external genital findings in child sexual assault victims is frequently not in accordance with the history of the incident acknowledged by the victims, due to many factors that can affect those findings. This study aimed to identify various factors affecting the findings of external genitalia injuries in child sexual assault victims. Clinical data were collected from medical records and then analysed statistically. Hymenal and/or non-hymenal injuries were observed in 64.2% of all subjects. Hymenal tears in all regions were significant for penile penetration. Factors affecting hymenal injuries were age group, nature of sexual violence, and number of penetrations. Factors affecting non-hymenal injuries were the nature of sexual violence and the time of examination.

Incidence of sexual violence among recently arrived asylum-seeking women in France: a retrospective cohort study.

The prevention of sexual violence (SV) occurring shortly after arrival in host countries towards female asylum seekers requires knowledge about its incidence. We aimed to determine the incidence of SV and its associated factors during the past year of living in France among asylum-seeking females who had arrived more than one year earlier but less than two years. We conducted a retrospective cohort study using a life-event survey of asylum-seeking females who had been registered in southern France by the Office for Immigration for more than one year but less than two. The primary outcome was the occurrence of SV during the past year, weighted by the deviation in age and geographical origin of our sample from all females registered. The nature of SV was noted, and associated factors were explored by a logistic regression model. Between October 1, 2021, and March 31, 2022, 273 females were included. Eighty-four females experienced SV during the past year of living in France (26.3% weighted [95% CI, 24-28.8]), 17 of whom were raped (4.8% weighted [95% CI, 3.7-6.1]). Being a victim of SV prior to arrival in France (202, 75.7%) was associated with the occurrence of SV after arrival (OR=4.6 [95% CI, 1.8-11.3]). Lack of support for accommodation was associated with se.xual assault (OR=2.6 [95% CI, 1.3-5.1]). The months following arrival in a European host country among asylum-seeking females appear to be a period of high incidence of SV; even higher for those who previously experienced SV prior to arrival. Reception conditions without support for accommodation seem to increase exposure to sexual assault. DGOS-GIRCI.

‘I’ll tell that human tale’: Documenting the Wartime Sexual Violence in Jing-Jing Lee’s How We Disappeared (2019)

Sexual slavery as a phenomenon of war was rampant during the Japanese Imperial Army’s occupation of territories before and during the Second World War (1939-1945). These innumerable sex slaves, or “comfort women”, as the Japanese Army had named them, were women (a striking number of them being minors) who were forcefully captured and separated from their families and placed at comfort stations built to fulfill the sexual needs of the Japanese soldiers. While this entire system was created on the pretext of reducing wartime rapes and curbing the spread of venereal diseases, these comfort stations did just the opposite. Studies conducted into these comfort stations reveal how they had become sites of inhuman sexual violence, torture, disease, and death. This paper will look at how Jing-Jing Lee’s historical fiction How We Disappeared (2019) rewrites these innumerable, nameless, brutalized women into the world’s history as victims of a bloody war that had tainted unassuming lives and had snuffed out their existence ruthlessly. Lee’s narrative is scarred by violence committed along gendered lines – illustrating the reduction of the female body to a disposable sexual tool, existing merely to bear the brunt of a war that was not theirs. This paper decodes the politics of gender violence behind Japan’s enforced and licensed prostitution, the nature of sexual violence, the commodification of women’s bodies, the place of women in the socio-cultural context of the era, and the gendered role of women, in what was quintessentially men’s war.

НАПРАВЛЕНИЯ ПРЕДУПРЕЖДЕНИЯ ПРЕСТУПНОСТИ В СФЕРЕ НРАВСТВЕННЫХ ОТНОШЕНИЙ

Moral relations in modern Russian society are extremely unstable due to the propaganda of various types of violence in the media and the abundance of pornographic materials. The new media require a new ethic that has not yet been worked out. The Internet and social networks raise new questions about what is possible and what is not, and even adults who behave incorrectly on the Internet cannot answer these questions, moreover, most of the hysterical statements on the Internet are made by adults. Crimes that infringe on sexual freedom and sexual inviolability cause an extremely negative reaction in society. In the last decade, the attention of the scientific community has been riveted to the issues of crimes against the sexual freedom of the individual and sexual violence. There is still no consensus on the nature of sexual violence in society, the reasons for its constant repetition, which gives rise to discussions about ways to prevent it, or at least overcome the consequences.

Responsibility of Sexual Violence Under International Law

The extent and nature of sexual violence throughout the war vary. Sexual violence is pervasive in some conflicts, such as ethnic conflicts, but it is relatively rare in other conflicts. Sexual slavery is one form of sexual violence in inevitable conflicts, while detention torture is another. The ICTY has carried out in-depth prosecutions and investigations of cases of sexual violence committed during times of war, leading to the filing of several indictments for crimes perpetrated in Bosnia - Herzegovina as early as 1995. By enabling the litigation of sexual violence as a war crime, crime against humanity, and genocide, the ICTY has advanced international criminal equity in sex crimes. This article attempts to provide readers with a clear understanding of two types of obligations: personal criminal culpability and state responsibility. The responsible for sexual violence presents a significant challenge to international law and misinterprets other laws, according to the conclusion. People are struggling with responsibility because, as the article pointed out, there are two different kinds of accountability in contemporary society: individual accountability and state accountability. The article's conclusions indicate that sexual violence is a personal responsibility.

A Meta-Analytic Framework for Developing Protocols to Attend Child and Adolescent Victims of Sexual Violence.

Violence against children and adolescents is a global public health problem. In Brazil, there are challenging boundaries for professionals in the protection network in general and for health professionals in particular. Moreover, among other factors, there is the challenge of referral, due to weaknesses in decision making, given the nature of sexual violence and how it is managed by healthcare services. This study aims to propose a Meta-Analytic framework to support the referral of young victims of sexual violence, considering levels of severity, independent of factors such as how protection systems are structured and managed and the local laws in force. We propose a Meta-Analytic approach, developed using the fundamentals of Delphi and DPSIR (Drivers, Pressures, State, Impact, and Response Model of Intervention), from the perspective of Value-Focused Thinking. The Delphi method was structured in two stages: the first stage aimed to identify and classify typical cases of sexual violence; the second stage used the DPSIR model, with the aim of identifying the decision criteria for typical cases that occur in a given municipality. The main outcomes are: (i) the application of the modified Delphi participatory method within the context of local social policies; (ii) the construction of a value tree based on Value-Focused Thinking; and (iii) the identification and systematization of criteria that most interfere with the evaluation of cases of sexual violence, which can be used for multi-criteria decision making.

Global prevalence and nature of sexual violence among higher education institution students: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundSexual violence (defined as any attempted or completed sexual act obtained by force, violence, or coercion) among higher education students is a public health problem. Determing the prevalence of sexual violence is key to understanding the scope of this issue. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to estimate the global prevalence of sexual violence among higher education students. MethodsIn this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched Medline, EMBASE, Global Health, PsycINFO, Web of Science, ERIC, and CINHAL for studies published in English, French, Italian, and Spanish from database inception to Aug 12, 2020. We screened studies (10% were double screened) using prespecified inclusion criteria for the population (higher education students), self-reported sexual violence victimisation as a higher eduction student (excluding sexual harassment), context (higher education institution), and study design (ie, quantitative or cross-sectional survey). Quality assessment was conducted using The Joanna Briggs Institure Critical Appraisal Checklist for Studies Reporting Prevalence Data. Prevalence estimates, disagregated by severity and gender identity, were meta-analysed using a random-effects model. This study is registered with PROSPERO, CRD42020171142. FindingsWe identified 104 studies, from 16 different countries, measuring sexual violence victimisation. 75 (72%) of 104 studies were based in the USA. The risk of bias among studies varied substantially given the sampling methods and sample sizes. Included studies had an overall low risk of bias (81 studies had low risk of bias and 23 studies were at high risk of bias) due to the rigorous inclusion criteria of only including studies using self-reported sexual violence surveys among higher education students. The overall meta-analysed prevalence rate for sexual violence victimisation was 17·4% (95% CI 15·2–19·8) for women and 7·8% (5·7–10·5) for men. When disaggregated by severity, 11·4% of women experienced coercive sex, 14·5% forced sexual touching, 8·2% attempted rape, and 5·9% rape. Comparatively, 6·8% of men experienced coercive sex, 6·4% experienced forced sexual touching, 1·1% experienced attempted rape, and 2·4% rape. InterpretationPrevalence estimates in studies of sexual violence among higher education students vary considerably because of inconsistencies in how sexual violence is defined and measured, and the sampling methods used. The meta-analysed victimisation estimates provide insight into how sexual violence among higher education students manifests itself among this population. FundingSocial Science and Humanities Research Council, Canada.

Prevalence and nature of sexual violence in a gerontopsychiatric population in flanders

IntroductionSexual violence (SV) is an important public health concern which may induce important and long lasting mental health problems. However, studies on SV and its mental health impact on older adults and more specifically gerontopsychiatric patients are currently lacking.ObjectivesThis study aims to contribute to a better understanding of the prevalence, risk factors and mental health impact of SV in a gerontopsychiatric patient population.MethodsBetween July 2019 and March 2020 100 patients (66%F, 34%M) participated in a face to face interview on health, sexuality and wellbeing during their admission at an old age psychiatry ward in one general hospital and two psychiatric hospitals across Flanders, Belgium. Participation rate was 58%. Interviews were performed by a psychiatric trainee and especially trained master students in medicine.Results58% (65%F; 42%M) of the participants were sexually victimised during their life, 45% (51%F, 33%F) experienced hands-off SV, 43% (48%F, 33%M) sexual abuse with physical contact and 16% (6%M, 21%F) was raped. 7% were sexually victimised in the past year. Compared with non-victimized respondents, hands-on SV victims (incl. rape) described more symptoms of depression (p=0.007) and anxiety (p=0.003) and reported lower resilience (p=0.022).ConclusionsSV appears to be common in the gerontopsychiatric population and is linked to even worse mental health outcomes. These findings confirm the long-lasting mental health impact of SV and highlight the importance of attention to (sexual) trauma in mental health care in old age.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

"Too Grey To Be True?" Sexual Violence in Older Adults: A Critical Interpretive Synthesis of Evidence.

Sexual violence (SV) is an important public health issue with a major impact on victims and their peers, offspring and community. However, SV in older adults is under-researched. This paper aims to establish the prevalence and nature of SV in older adults in Europe, link this with existing policies and health care workers’ response to sexual health needs in older age, and critically revise the currently used frameworks in public health research. To fill this gap in the literature, we applied a Critical Interpretative Synthesis (CIS) approach. The CIS approach uses techniques from grounded theory and processes from systematic review. It allows to critically interpret key findings from both academic as well as grey literature, engendering theory refining. In the first phase of purposive sampling, we conducted a systematic review of academic sources and included 14 references. The cut-off age used to define old age varied between 60 and 70 years old among the included studies. Subsequently we added another 14 references in the second phase of theoretical sampling. We ultimately included 16 peer-reviewed articles and 12 documents from the grey literature. The CIS results demonstrate that knowledge of SV in older adults is still limited. The current research suggests that SV in older adults rarely occurs, however, prevalence rates are likely to be underestimated because of methodological shortcomings. The complexity of SV in older adults is not acknowledged in ongoing research due to the conflation of SV with other types of violence. Information on specific risk factors and about assailants committing SV in old age is absent. Policy documents dealing with sexual and reproductive health, rights and ageing make no mention of SV in older adults. In clinical practice, the sexual health needs of older adults often remain unmet. In conclusion, our findings suggest that older adults are forgotten in prevention and response to SV. Greater awareness about this topic could contribute to a revision of current policies and health care practices, leading to more tailored care for older victims of SV.

Theorizing Lateral Violence in Sápmi

Until the advent of social media, it has not been natural to speak openly about sexual violence in Sápmi. The tendency toward silence on the part of victim/survivors can be attributed to a number of factors, including fear of collective racialized judgement, fear of not being believed, and a tendency on the part of minorities to “protect their own.” However, in the last five years we have witnessed a wave of Sámi survivors—especially young women and Queer youth—sharing their personal, storied experiences of lateral violence on social media, and even in Sámi and mainstream media. Many survivors’ stories reflect a “calling out” of Sámi society to break with taboos, as well as a “calling out” of Norwegianization and state systemic indifference to the problem of sexual violence in Sámi communities. Pre-dating the watershed moment of the Divtasvuotna/Tysfjord case and the #metoo and #timesup movements in the USA, young Sámi women began telling their stories of survival of sexual assault and harassment on various social and traditional media platforms, and Sámi youth organizations addressed issues of sexual violence and harassment in their own organizational structures and in societal terms.
 To the best of my knowledge, there has been limited research on sexual violence in Sápmi, with the exception of large-scale surveys from the health sciences that reveal that Sámi women experience domestic and sexual violence at higher rates than the majority Nordic population; further, it is well-known in Sámi society that the majority of offenders are themselves from within the Sámi community.
 My presentation will be a “discussion of a new research idea” on theorizing the gendered, racial, and colonial nature of sexual violence against Sámi women in a historical and systemic trajectory.

Expendables for Whom: Terry Crews and the Erasure of Black Male Victims of Sexual Assault and Rape

The sexual assault of Terry Crews by Adam Venit raises all sorts of questions about the nature of sexual violence and our reluctance to see Black men as victims of sexual assault in the United States. Despite a history of Black men and boys being raped by White men and women, there is no effort to connect the centuries-long record of sexual violence against Black males to the sexual victimization of Black men and boys currently. This article analyzes the language, history, and stereotypes deployed in our understanding of Terry Crews’s victimization, even those he uses to describe himself, to better situate and describe the vulnerability of Black men and boys to sexual violence in the United States.

Who is Worthy of Redress?: Recognizing Sexual Violence Injustice Against Women of Color as Uniquely Redress-Worthy—Illuminated by a Case Study on Kenya’s Mau Mau Women and Their Unique Harms

Until recently, reconciliation initiatives tended to ignore specialized harms of sexual violence suffered by women. At the urging of gender scholars and advocates, reconciliation initiatives started acknowledging the unique nature of sexual violence harms to women and began tailoring remedies to address these specialized harms. Yet, though a step in the right direction, even those forward-looking gender-sensitive initiatives have not specifically and forthrightly recognized the unique sexual violence harms to women of color. Race and gender place women of color at the bottom of the social hierarchy, making them particularly vulnerable to sexual violence as part of mass injustice and later often rendering their injuries nearly invisible in the redress process. Yet their severe sexual violence harms are unique, ranging from irreparable reproductive damage, broken relationships, and economic hardship to stigma, isolation, and shame. Why do those fashioning redress tend to largely overlook or ignore these unique sexual violence harms to women of color? This Article responds to this pressing question and modestly refines the recently developed intersectional race-gender redress analysis. It clarifies societal constructions of gender by focusing on one aspect as it intersects with race—sexual violence. The Article calls for a particularized intersectional racegender redress analysis to recognize sexual violence against women of color as uniquely worthy of redress. Through a case study on Kenya’s Mau Mau women and their unique harms, the Article employs this refined redress analysis and encourages scholars, frontline advocates, policymakers, and survivors and their families to strive for more comprehensive and enduring social healing “by doing justice” for both individual women of color and the polity itself. In doing so, it emphasizes that unveiling and making explicit any implicit intersectional racegender redress bias might significantly begin changing societal notions about who is worthy of redress. ABSTRACT 269 INTRODUCTION 270 269 INTRODUCTION 270 I. REDRESS FOR HISTORIC INJUSTICE 278 II. WHAT’S MISSING?: MAU MAU WOMEN’S UNIQUE HARMS IN REDRESS ...... 281 A. A Brief Historical Background of Mau Mau Women’s Experiences 282 B. Mau Mau Women’s Devalued Sexual Violence Harms 284 1. Post-Colonial Silencing 284 2. Public Discourse 286 3. Court Documents 288 4. An Out-of-Court Settlement 290 KENYA 234 (2005) (quoting Muringo Njooro, a Mau Mau woman survivor). PETTIT_TO PRODUCTION (EIC) 199 EDITED (DO NOT DELETE) 7/25/2015 11:31 AM 270 BERKELEY JOURNAL OF GENDER, LAW & JUSTICE III. WHY ARE THEY MISSING?: THE UNDERPINNINGS AND RECENT DEVELOPMENTS OF INTERSECTIONAL RACE-GENDER REDRESS THEORY 291 A. Gender-Sensitive Redress Theory 293 1. The Emergence of Gender-Sensitive Redress Theory 293 2. Sexual Violence Against Women in Redress Initiatives 295 B. Cutting-Edge Intersectional Race-Gender Redress Approaches .... 300 1. Intersectionality Theory 300 2. Intersectional Race-Gender Redress 302 C. What Happened to the Women of Color?: Implicit Intersectional Redress Bias Rendering Nearly Invisible Sexual Violence Injustice Against Women of Color 303 1. Mayan Women and Guatemalan Redress Efforts 304 2. Korean Comfort Women and Current Redress Efforts 305 3. Jeju Women and Jeju 4.3 Reconciliation 305 D. What Happened to Mau Mau Women?: An Intersectional RaceGender Redress Case Study to Illuminate Implicit Redress Bias .. 308 1. Where is the Racism? 308 2. Where is the Sexism? 310 3. Where are the Multidimensional Harms? 312 IV. WHAT’S NEXT?: REFINING INTERSECTIONAL RACE-GENDER REDRESS THEORY TO RECOGNIZE SEXUAL VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN OF COLOR AS ESPECIALLY WORTHY OF REDRESS 313 A. Recognition of Sexual Violence Injustice Against Women of Color—Empathizing with Those Suffering 314 1. Recognition of Historic Sexual Violence Harms 314 2. Recognition of Persisting Harms 317 B. Recognition of Sexual Violence Injustice Against Women of Color—Critical Interrogation of the Discursive and Structural Aspects of Suppression 319 1. Discursive Strategy: Stock Stories Legitimizing the Injustice 319 2. Structural Aspects: Organizational Structures Embodying Oppressive Practices and Policies Contributing to Sexual Violence Against Women of Color 320 CONCLUSION: LOOKING FORWARD TO MORE COMPREHENSIVE REDRESS ....... 322

The ICRC's approach to sexual violence in armed conflict: In conversation with Peter Maurer

In 2014, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) undertook a four-year commitment to consolidating and expanding its efforts to address sexual violence in armed conflicts and other situations of violence. In this Q&A, ICRC President Peter Maurer reflects on the complex nature of sexual violence and on some of the specific challenges involved, including identifying victims and assessing and adequately responding to their needs. He emphasizes the need for a proactive, multidisciplinary approach comprised of assistance, protection and prevention efforts, and explains how the ICRC intends to step up its efforts to better respond to and prevent sexual violence in the coming years.

Framing in the Making

Previous research on sexual violence has focused on individual-level behaviors that typically include a single victim in an isolated event. Criminologists have failed to examine sexual violence as a group-level phenomenon, which is often exhibited during war. For this study, case study methodology was used to analyze court transcripts from the United Nations, detailing the conflict of Sierra Leone. By utilizing the framing perspective, the purpose of this study was to determine the nature of sexual violence during war, focusing specifically on whether the evolution of sex offending motivations changes overtime. A better understanding of how sex offending becomes a group behavior will expand the current literature on collective and sexual violence, identify preconflict indicators of collective sexual violence, and provide strategies for postconflict mediations in warring countries.

Older women and sexual violence: recognising and supporting survivors

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine demographic details, disclosure and reporting behaviour of older women Rape Crisis Centre (RCC) service users in Ireland. Design/methodology/approach – Statistical analysis of 15 Irish RCC records was carried out, using the Rape Crisis Network Ireland (RCNI) statistical database. In addition, two illustrative case studies were examined. Findings – Older women were under-represented as RCC service users in Ireland. They were more likely to be disabled, less likely to report an incident of sexual violence and more likely to delay disclosure than younger women. Older women also had poor knowledge about sexual violence and services available to older women survivors. Research limitations/implications – Data were drawn from RCCs. Therefore, results may not reflect the population of Ireland as a whole. Population-based studies should be carried out to gauge the prevalence and nature of sexual violence among older women and assess reporting and disclosing behaviours. Practical implications – The paper provides important indications of barriers to accessing RCC services among older women. Health care providers should receive education and training in identifying survivors of sexual violence among older women and providing referral where needed. RCCs should ensure that services are fully accessible to the disabled. Originality/value – This paper provides unique data about older women service users which will be of value to those working with older women or in the violence against women and health sectors.

Rape in the Courts of Gusiiland, Kenya, 1940s–1960s

Abstract:This article examines the history of rape prosecutions in the African courts of Gusiiland, Kenya, from the 1940s through the first years of independence. Drawing on transcripts from African courts, it demonstrates that Gusii court elders were quite sympathetic to women who lodged rape claims. Elders handed down stiff punishments to rapists, were willing to entertain a wide definition of “indecent assault,” and did not require the extensive evidence of rape so commonly demanded by judges in Western courts (and in British courts in Kenya). Perhaps most surprisingly, men who admitted to having had sex but claimed it had been consensual were forced to prove their claims. This article advances both the historical study of rape in Africa and suggests that we reassess—or at least reserve judgment—on the nature of sexual violence in the non—West.