Incidence Of Rape Research Articles

(Sex) Crime and Punishment in the #MeToo Era: How the Public Views Rape

One of the core tasks of a well-functioning state is providing fair and adequate criminal justice. Recent events have raised concerns that the US exhibits a “culture of rape,” wherein victims are often disbelieved and blamed. Scholars have not yet examined how the public understands rape and how it should be punished, despite the important role that public pressure has played in the #MeToo era. We present an empirical conceptualization of rape culture to generate predictions for how various attributes of rape incidents affect the likelihood that they are perceived as punishable crimes. In a series of conjoint experiments, we demonstrate that details relating to the victim’s consent and credibility significantly decrease participants’ propensities to support reporting to police or to recommend a severe punishment for the perpetrator. The results show that emphasizing certain legally irrelevant features of rape strongly affect whether the public views an incident as severe or worthy of punishment.

The Effect of the Exposure to Refugees on Crime Activity: Evidence from the Greek Islands

Political instability in the Middle East has triggered the largest flow of asylum seekers in Europe since WWII. In their attempt to enter Europe, refugees use boats that depart from various locations along the Turkish coast, heading toward the closest Greek island. We use exogenous variation in the number of refugees across the islands to answer two questions: (1) Do refugees commit more crimes in the destination islands? (2) What kinds of crimes are more likely to be committed? We assembled a new dataset on the number and nature of crime incidents at the island level based on newspaper reports. We employ instrumental variables and difference-indifferences techniques to study the causal relationship between immigration and crime. We find that a 1-percentage-point increase in the share of refugees on the destination island increases reported crime incidents by 3-5% compared with neighboring unexposed islands. We find that this difference in the violence pattern is driven by crime incidents committed by the foreign-born population, while there is no change in reported crimes committed by natives on those islands. Additionally, we show that there is no increase in drug-related crimes, while there is an increase in incidents of property crimes, knife attacks, and rape.

Revisiting Eigenberg's prison rape model with criminal justice majors

ABSTRACT Prison rape can result in profound physical and psychological damage to inmates. Despite the 2003 Prison Rape Elimination Act, prison rape incidents in the US have increased over 15 years. Previous research results have demonstrated that correctional officers who endorsed rape myths failed to enforce regulations, and they were apt to engage in sexual misconduct or sexual harassment directed toward inmates. It has been almost two decades since Eigenberg ([2000a]. Correctional officers’ definitions of rape in male prisons. Journal of Criminal Justice, 28, 435–449) presented the mechanism explaining prison rape myths (PRM) among correctional officers. The present study revisits Eigenberg's (2000a) prison rape model using the survey data from 446 criminal justice (CJ) majors, 119 of whom expressed their interest in corrections as a desired career. For the most part, the findings in this study confirm that Eigenberg's (2000a) model is applicable to the PRM of CJ majors. However, no education effect in relation to PRM was found. Implications for recruitment, training, and education, as well as avenues for future research, are then discussed.

Behl, Natasha. Gendered Citizenship: Understanding Gendered Violence in Democratic India. Oxford University Press, 2019.

Natasha Behl’s Gendered Citizenship is a fresh and rich contribution to the emerging literature of gender studies. She focuses on the gender-aspect of the concept of citizenship, especially in the context of Indian democracy. She juxtaposes the high claims of democracy of the Indian state with the local realities of culture, religion, and caste system. Beginning with a cold-blooded incident of rape of a young woman traveling on a local bus, Behl employs the ethnographic methodological approach to demonstrate the lived experiences, meaning-making processes, and self-reflexivity of women in the public spheres of the country.

Freeing women of rape victims from the burden of psychology through the legalization of the abortion acquisition law in rape victim pregnant women

The purpose of this study was to find out the legal reasons that cause the criminal potential to doctors who help abortions in rape victims, and strive to eliminate criminal possibility against these doctors. This study uses normative juridical research with primary legal materials (laws) and secondary legal materials (literature on health law and medical law). Analysis of legal material was carried out using qualitative analysis, by describing norms regarding the legalization of abortion for rape victims that are contrary to the principle of legal certainty. The results showed that the legal reason that caused doctors who help abortions in rape victims could be convicted because the incidence of rape was not guaranteed based on court decisions that had permanent legal force. The effort to abolish criminal acts against the doctor is through the legal formulation of a brief program in proving the act of rape, as well as implementing the absentia trial if the suspect is not present. The doctor who helps abortion in rape victim has the potential to be suspected as criminal, but the effort to abolish the criminal against the doctor can be performed through the legal formulation.

Examining the Impact of Sexual Revictimization in a Sample of Veterans Undergoing Intensive PTSD Treatment

Sexual revictimization refers to exposure to more than one incident of rape and is a known risk factor for poor mental health among civilians. This construct has been understudied among veterans. In addition, although individuals who have experienced revictimization generally have greater symptom severity than those who have experienced one rape, it is unclear whether these differences persist following treatment. This study examined differences between veterans who reported histories of revictimization (n =111) or a single rape (n = 45), over the course of a 3-week intensive cognitive processing therapy (CPT)-based treatment program for veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The sample consisted of predominately female (70.5%) post-9/11 veterans (82.7%). Self-reported PTSD and depression symptom severity were assessed regularly throughout the course of treatment. Controlling for non-interpersonal trauma exposure and whether veterans were seeking treatment for combat or military sexual trauma, sexual revictimization was generally associated with greater pretreatment distress and impairment. However, sexual revictimization did not impact rates of PTSD or depression symptom change over the course of intensive treatment, or overall improvement in these symptoms posttreatment. Our findings suggest that the rates of sexual revictimization are high among treatment-seeking veterans with PTSD. Although veteran survivors of sexual revictimization tend to enter treatment with higher levels of distress and impairment than their singly victimized peers, they are equally as likely to benefit from treatment.

Conflict period sexual violence against women: Promise of the vulnerability theory

Compared to most countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Kenya has, for a long time, enjoyed relative peace. However, this perceived peace has been marked with several incidents of internal clashes exposing women to large-scale gender-based sexual violence. While sexual violence is generally common in peacetime, it is exacerbated in conflict situations such as the post-election violence of 2007–2008 which saw mass incidents of rape and unprecedented killings in Kenya. This happened despite a robust legal framework prohibiting sexual violence. This article shows that the state’s to take cognisance of certain issues uniquely affecting women in Kenya in various aspects and contexts accumulate to disadvantage women, thereby making them more vulnerable. Second, the state’s failure to respond adequately to the unique plight of women during peacetime further exacerbates their suffering during armed conflicts. Thus, in a bid to find a better legal framework to protect women during conflict in Kenya, this article analyses the vulnerability theory of human rights which acknowledges that humans are generally and naturally vulnerable to certain elements. It concludes by stating that only when the vulnerability of women is understood and appreciated, can the law be effectively used to protect women against sexual and gender-based violence in conflict situations, among other hardships that women face, just by virtue of being women. It proposes among others a multidimensional approach including law reform, strict implementation of the existing law, economic inclusion of women and more investment in women as a remedy.

CHALLENGES TO THE ENACTMENT OF THE ELIMINATION OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE BILL

<p>Indonesia currently has only one criminal law, Kitab Undang-Undang Hukum Pidana (KUHP), which was enacted and inherited from our colonial government. There has been an effort to amend this law but up until now the amendment of this law is not enacted yet. In this law, there are only two types of sexual violence which have legal protection: rape and sexual molestation (<em>pencabulan</em>), while in the current reality, based on the reported cases to partners of Komnas Perempuan from 2001-2011, there are 15 types of sexual violence; and the number of sexual violence cases has been increasing. As a result, it is difficult for victims of the 15 types of sexual violence to have legal protection. This shows the existing hole in the <em>lex generalis</em> KUHP, which needs to be filled in by <em>lex specialis</em> law which specifically addresses sexual violence. Based on the need for legal protection for victims of various types of sexual violence and to protect women’s human rights, Komnas Perempuan and her partners have drafted the Elimination of Sexual Violence Bill since 2014. This Bill has become one of the priorities of the national legislation program since 2016, after the incidence of a gang rape to a school age child in Bengkulu. However, up until the end of September 2019, this Bill was not enacted yet. In addition, there has been currently opposition to this Bill from the conservative group, accusing that this Bill legalizes <em>zina</em> (extra marital sexual relationship) and LGBT. This paper aims at elaborating the background, aims, contents and challenges to the enactment of the Elimination of Sexual Violence Bill. I will argue that this Bill offers both procedural and substantive justice for women and the marginalized groups, the majority victims of sexual violence.</p>

Media and Sexual Assaults on Students in Nigerian Universities: An Overview

The issue of sexual assaults mostly on female students and male lecturers in most Nigerian Universities has generated great concern among scholars and members of the society. This study examines the extent to which staff and students define and understands sexual assault in most Nigerian Universities. The paper explores the role played by the media in reporting and preventing sexual assault in most of Nigerian Universities where issues of sexual assaults are being reported and investigated. The paper investigates incidents of rape in Nigerian Universities, looks at the effects of sexual assault on victims and analyzes the role of the media in preventing sexual assault among students and staff of Nigerian Universities. The study employs the Social Responsibility Theory of the press to analyze the role of the press in curbing issues of sexual assault on campuses of Nigerian Universities. The study concludes that sexual assault, especially on female students in Nigerian Universities has positioned the media on the wheels of investigative journalism. The paper recommends that media professionals should intensify their social responsibility role, especially, investigative journalism in order to eradicate sexual assault on female students in the campuses of Nigeria Universities

Gender Based Sexual Violence (Gbsv) in Conflict Zones of India: Study of Forgotten Case of Kunan-Poshpora Mass Rape Incident and Why Is It Important to Remember It?

“How to tell a shattered story? By slowly becoming everybody. No. By slowly becoming everything.” - Arundhati Roy, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness History of sexual violence in conflict zones can be traced back to as long as conflicts existed. However, it took recent events in world history to create an awakening in International community to take measures against widespread sexual atrocities done in conflict zones. The turning point came post disintegration of Yugoslavian state in early 90s and sexual atrocities that happened post breakdown. Coming close to our homeland - India, sexual violence in armed conflict is unfortunately a stark reality and state Institutions/ belligerents have both used it as a systematic tactic of war. Kashmir had been a burning political issue between India and Pakistan since both the modern nation came into being after colonial rule of British ended in 1947. The seven-decade long conflict resulted in numerous casualties in both Indian-Administered and Pakistan-Administered Kashmir. In my article I am using the mass rape incident which happened in twin villages of kunan and Poshpora, located in Kashmir’s Kupwara District on February 23, 1991 as my case study. It has been more than 27 years and legal proceedings regarding the incident remains opaque. The study is done with an objective of understanding nuances associated with such atrocities and how a future “kunan-pushpora” can be avoided in conflict zones of subcontinent. Through this article I argue that our country’s legal and constitutionalism have failed to respond to challenges imposed by GBSV in conflict zones.

The Haunting of Hate: Rape as a Form of Hate Crime

This paper seeks to explore how notions of gender and sexualities influence state and voluntary agencies’ understanding of men as victims of rape. It aims to examine the roles of gender, sexualities, and hate crime in male rape discourse, particularly examining the concept of male rape as a form of hate crime. I draw on data that consist of police officers, male rape counsellors, therapists, and voluntary agency caseworkers (N = 70) to explore male rape fuelled by hatred in the North, South and West of England. I used 25 semi-structured interviews and 45 qualitative questionnaires to collate the data. I ensured that those who were interviewed did not also fill out a questionnaire. The findings suggest that there is a link between male rape and hate crime, in that gay men or men presumed to be gay are positioned as feminine and subordinate through the act of rape. The findings suggest that the study of hate crime ought to be expanded to include male rape victims because my research suggests that, in some cases, hatred might be involved during an incident of rape.

Selenium (Se) reduces Sclerotinia stem rot disease incidence of oilseed rape by increasing plant Se concentration and shifting soil microbial community and functional profiles

Sclerotinia stem rot (SSR), a soil-borne plant disease, cause the yield loss of oilseed rape. Selenium (Se), a beneficial element of plant, improves plant resistance to pathogens, and regulates microbial communities in soil. Soil microbial communities has been identified to play an important role in plant health. We studied whether the changes in soil microbiome under influence of Se associated with oilseed rape health. SSR disease incidence of oilseed rape and soil biochemical properties were investigated in Enshi district, “The World Capital of Selenium”, and soil bacterial and fungal communities were analyzed by 16S rRNA and ITS sequencing, respectively. Results showed that Se had a strong effect on SSR incidence, and disease incidence inversely related with plant Se concentration. Besides, soil Se enhanced the microbiome diversities and the relative abundance of PGPR (plant growth promoting rhizobacteria), such as Bryobacter, Nitrospirae, Rhizobiales, Xanthobacteraceae, Nitrosomonadaceae and Basidiomycota. Furthermore, Soil Se decreased the relative abundance of pathogenic fungi, such as Olpidium, Armillaria, Coniosporium, Microbotryomycetes and Chytridiomycetes. Additionally, Se increased nitrogen metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism and cell processes related functional profiles in soil. The enrichment of Se in plants and improvement of soil microbial community were related to increased plant resistance to pathogen infection. These findings suggested that Se has potential to be developed as an ecological fungicide for biological control of SSR.

(En)countering sexual violence in the Indian city

Over the past decade, incidents of rape, sexual discrimination, honour killing, acid attacks and sex-related murders in Indian cities have come under much media and public scrutiny, significantly impacting conceptions of gender, risk and women’s safety in urban spaces. The city itself has become a dominant trope for underscoring the anxieties, discourses and exegeses of sexual violence, as exemplified in the oft-cited designation of Delhi as the ‘rape capital of India’. This introduction to the themed section critically engages with ‘the urban’ in its attempts to understand sexual violence in India, and focuses on the multiple public (workplace, leisure, street lives) and private (domestic, intimate) arenas of urban life where sexual violence is encountered, and the resources they provide to counter it. The co-editors engage with the interdisciplinary research papers by contributing authors that show how sexual violence is ‘(en)countered’ in women’s right-wing politics, processes of cultural production, community health activism, experiences of aggressive relationships, and men’s growing anxieties about women’s self-determination in Indian cities. With a specific ethnographic emphasis on women’s experiences, rhetoric, representation and resistance to harassment, the theme section analyses sexual violence through the lens of urban, social and spatial transformations in the region.

BENTUK KEKERASAN DALAM FILM “HAN GONG JU” (ANALISIS ISI PADA FILM “HAN GONG JU”)

Film does not only provide entertainment for the audiences but also raises a realitythat exists in society. Not all films can be enjoyed by all audiences. This is becausethe scenes in the film contain elements of violence, mysticism, sex and other elements.The film of Han Gong Ju is a film adapted from an incident of rape in the Miryangarea, South Korea. This film contains elements of violence. Violence is divided intothree, namely physical, symbolic and sexual violence. The method used in this studyis descriptive content analysis. The results in this study are the existence of elementsof violence both physical, symbolic and sexual violence. The violence is notindividual, but collectively.Keyword: film, han gong ju, violences, content analysis

The Role and Effect of Mass Media on Rape and Sexual Violence against Women and Girls: A case study of South Kivu in Democratic Republic of the Congo

Prevalence of grave rapes and sexual violence against women and girls in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) prompted the conduction of this study. The study aimed to explore the roles and effects of mass media on rape and sexual violence against women and girls in South Kivu. One main research question, which is, what are the cognitive, affective, and behavioral effects guided data collection, analysis, presentation and discussion of research findings. The study brought forward an intensive discussion on the way mass media play different roles and exert different effects on the audiences concerning rape and sexual violence. The study used the qualitative research which involved semi-structured interview and focus group discussions to collect data from 144 participants including government officials, journalists, religious leaders and victims. The findings revealed that respondents recognized the significant roles and effects of mass media in conveying, cognitive, affective, and behavioral changes on people with regard to rape and sexual violence. On cognitive effect, the findings indicated that 72% participants believed that mass media reporting was used as a tool to help activists and governments raise awareness and implement programs on the issues of rape and sexual violence in the community. In addition, 63% participants considered that mass media have been providing methods to reduce incidents of rape and sexual violence in DRC. On affective effect, two thirds of participants considered mass media as creating awareness and instigated courage among the victims of rape and sexual violence on how to cope with the trauma. But more than half participants also suggested that mass media incorporated images that convey destructive messages, causing more trauma and disinterest among the victims. On behavioral change, 67% participants thought mass media raised awareness among the community to protect victims of rape and sexual violence against the traumas and denials., news coverage about rape and sexual violence against women were sensational, exploitative, lacking serious analysis of the prevalence hence bring no significant impact on the fight against these incidents. The study also found that victims of circumstances, women and girls are experiencing multiple pathological hurt, including, physical, psychological and social consequences. Interviewees were of the view that in some cases mass media fuels the incidents of rape and sexual violence by putting stigmas to the victims with contents they cover. As the means to combat rape and sexual violence, the study found that mass media shaped public discourse, raised sensitization, through reporting and implementing programs about issues of rape and sexual violence in DRC. Keywords : Mass Media on Rape, Sexual Violence, female DOI : 10.7176/NMMC/80-07 Publication date :May 31 st 2019

A critical review of the jurisprudence of laws on rape in Nigeria and the impact of statute of limitations on prompt reporting of rape incidents

As high-profile cases of rape continue to make headlines in Nigeria and beyond-and as rape survivors appear to relent in reporting crimes- it can help to have a better understanding of the laws on rape and the reasons for delayed report of the crime as well as the effect of the statutory time frame within which legal actions can be instituted against perpetrators of rape. One effective way to curb or exterminate the menace of rape is by effective prosecution and punishment of offenders. However limitation statutes may deny citizen’s access to justice and it seems not to propel prompt report of rape incidents. This paper examines the Nigerian criminal law of rape and attempts a critical analysis of limitation statutes in selected forums in order to establish its probative value on reporting rape whilst identifying the reasons for delay in report and MEASURES to address same. Materials and methods: materials consulted are statutes, case laws and relevant literatures. Method applied is doctrinal methods and desk based/internet research. Results: probative and qualitative information on the state of the art in concerned areas researched on.

The Role and Effect of Mass Media on Rape and Sexual Violence against Women and Girls: A case study of South Kivu in Democratic Republic of the Congo

Prevalence of grave rapes and sexual violence against women and girls in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) prompted the conduction of this study. The study aimed to explore the roles and effects of mass media on rape and sexual violence against women and girls in South Kivu. One main research question, which is, what are the cognitive, affective, and behavioral effects guided data collection, analysis, presentation and discussion of research findings. The study brought forward an intensive discussion on the way mass media play different roles and exert different effects on the audiences concerning rape and sexual violence. The study used the qualitative research which involved semi-structured interview and focus group discussions to collect data from 144 participants including government officials, journalists, religious leaders and victims. The findings revealed that respondents recognized the significant roles and effects of mass media in conveying, cognitive, affective, and behavioral changes on people with regard to rape and sexual violence. On cognitive effect, the findings indicated that 72% participants believed that mass media reporting was used as a tool to help activists and governments raise awareness and implement programs on the issues of rape and sexual violence in the community. In addition, 63% participants considered that mass media have been providing methods to reduce incidents of rape and sexual violence in DRC. On affective effect, two thirds of participants considered mass media as creating awareness and instigated courage among the victims of rape and sexual violence on how to cope with the trauma. But more than half participants also suggested that mass media incorporated images that convey destructive messages, causing more trauma and disinterest among the victims. On behavioral change, 67% participants thought mass media raised awareness among the community to protect victims of rape and sexual violence against the traumas and denials., news coverage about rape and sexual violence against women were sensational, exploitative, lacking serious analysis of the prevalence hence bring no significant impact on the fight against these incidents. The study also found that victims of circumstances, women and girls are experiencing multiple pathological hurt, including, physical, psychological and social consequences. Interviewees were of the view that in some cases mass media fuels the incidents of rape and sexual violence by putting stigmas to the victims with contents they cover. As the means to combat rape and sexual violence, the study found that mass media shaped public discourse, raised sensitization, through reporting and implementing programs about issues of rape and sexual violence in DRC. Keywords : Mass Media on Rape, Sexual Violence, female DOI : 10.7176/NMMC/80-07 Publication date :May 31 st 2019

Rape and Medical Consequences among Girls and Women Victims during the Post-Armed Conflict Context in Congo

Rape is a criminal, aggressive and violent act to have sexual intercourse with a person without her consent. Few studies have been conducted on rape and sexual assaults related to armed conflict in developing countries. The objective of this study was to assess the magnitude of rape and its medical consequences among victims during armed post-conflict period in Brazzaville from January to December 1999. Rape victim was defined as woman or girl having received medical care from January to December 1999 in care units following reporting having incident of rape. SPSS V 20 software was used for the analyses. A total of 1282 victims were assessed. We documented 106 post-rape pregnancies, of which 58 (54.7%) ended in abortion, 15 (14.2%) in miscarriage and 33 (31.1%) in childbirth. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) were common, with 560 (44%) cases among the 1282 victims. Of these, 301 (23%) had trichomoniasis, 123 (10%) had salpingitis, 89 (7%) had vaginal candidiasis and 38 (3%) had gonorrhea. A large proportion of morbidity 362 (28%) was attributed to vulvovaginal injuries and traumatic pelvic pains. In conclusion, our study highlights that rape practice was common in context of armed conflict in Congo. Medical consequences were unwanted pregnancies leading to unsafe abortions, STIs and physical injuries. Results argue in favor of effective public health interventions for a better prevention and care of victims during and after armed conflict.

Understanding Sexual Violence through its Timing in Kagiso Lesego Molope’s This Book Betrays my Brother

SummaryIn this article, I seek to understand why male sexual violence happens. I look specifically at the temporalities, and inevitably the spatialities, of a rape incident in the novel This Book Betrays my Brother by Kagiso Lesego Molope. In other words, I seek to answer the question: how does the timing of the rape enhance our understanding of why the rape happens and how the perpetrator conceives it? My feminist analysis combines theories of sexual violence and theories of women’s time to unravel the motive for rape as represented in Molope’s novel. Through the analysis, I extrapolate three major arguments from the novel: first, that male sexual violence is the result of masculine territorialisation of women’s bodies; second, that the rape of lesbian and bisexual women is the result of heterosexual men’s failure to accommodate alternative sexualities, hence their action to “discipline” the deviant bodies of women for transgressing the patriarchal sexual order; and lastly, that intra-racial sexual violence in particular is a consequence of the black man’s desire for revenge against racial denigration.

Genome-wide differentially methylated genes associated with post-traumatic stress disorder in female rape survivors

IntroductionAlterations to the epigenome in response to psychological trauma have been reported as a mechanism mediating gene and environmental interaction. Differentially methylated genes involved in the biological pathways associated with the adverse phenotypic behavioural presentations in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have previously been identified. However, the majority of studies have focussed on differential methylation of single candidate genes in participants exposed to heterogeneous index traumas. The objective of this study was to identify genome-wide differences in methylation profiles of a group of women exposed to rape, with and without PTSD.MethodsFemale isiZulu participants (n = 48) between 18 and 40 years of age, who reported an incident of rape within the previous 20 days, were recruited from three Thuthuzela care centres and a crisis clinic in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. Rape-exposed participants with and without PTSD were matched on HIV status, age, childhood maltreatment and other lifetime trauma exposure, body mass index and smoking status. DNA was extracted from peripheral blood and analysed using the Illumina Epic BeadChip microarray. Logistic regression models, adjusting for multiple comparisons, were used to identify differentially methylated genes in participants with and without PTSD at 3 months post-rape.ResultsFour hundred twenty-three differentially methylated genomic regions were associated with PTSD status. Paired Box 8 (PAX8), encompassing eight CpG sites (p = 9.14E-20 and Zinc Finger Protein 57 [ZFP57]) and 19 CpG sites (p = 4.84E-18) were among the top 20 genomic regions significantly associated with PTSD in this data set, which were previously found to be associated with PTSD in other traumatised cohorts.ConclusionPAX8 may be involved in PTSD symptoms related to sleeping difficulties and ZFP57 is believed to be involved in susceptibility to stress governed by differential methylation in hippocampal cells. This is the first study, to our knowledge, to investigate genome-wide profiles of women exposed to rape in Africa. Confirmation of these findings will require replication in larger cohorts.