Sexual Assault Research Articles

Vaginal cytomorphological profile in correlating suicidal deaths in medicolegal autopsy cases

Objectives: Vaginal cytology is a sensitive method for assessing women’s hormonal status, showing variations in menstrual cycle phases. Studies suggest a higher rate of female suicides during the luteal phase. This study aimed to link vaginal cytomorphological profiles with the manner of death and age of the deceased. Materials and Methods: Vaginal smears from 64 autopsy cases were microscopically examined for maturation index (MI) and value, reflecting hormonal profiles. Statistical Analysis: ANOVA between the mean of maturation value with manner of death was found to be significant. Results: Among the 48 suicides, 54.2% showed predominantly intermediate cells in the luteal phase, indicating a mid-zone shift in the MI. The remaining 16 non-suicidal cases showed fewer intermediate cells. Suicides shared a similar cytological profile and MI, especially in the reproductive age group. Conclusions: While vaginal smears are typically used in sexual assault cases to detect sperm, they also offer insights into women’s hormonal profiles. Understanding these profiles could provide clues about psychological status and its relation to the manner of death beyond sexual assault.

Does Wives’ Empowerment Moderate the Association Between Husbands’ Drunkenness and Their Intimate Partner Violence Toward Their Wives?—A Study in India

Although the impacts of husband alcohol consumption and wife empowerment on intimate partner violence (IPV) have been researched independently, there is scanty evidence on the moderating role of empowerment in reducing IPV among wives whose husbands drink alcohol in India. Using the data from the fifth round of the National Family Health Survey (2019–2021), this study examines the intermediating role of wives’ empowerment in the association between husbands’ drunkenness and IPV among currently married women (n= 16,360). Multidimensional women empowerment indices were constructed, and logistic regression was used to show the association between husbands’ drunkenness and the type of IPV among their wives with different empowerment levels. The IPV prevalence ranged from 12% for sexual assault to 47% for physical violence. The odds of physical violence (odds ratio (OR) = 3.83, 95% confidence interval (CI) [3.29–4.44]), sexual violence (OR = 3.88, 95% CI [ 2.98–5.05]), and emotional violence (OR = 4.94, 95% CI [4.02–6.05]) were higher among wives whose husbands were often drunk compared to those with never drunk husbands. However, with an increasing degree of husband drunkenness, the odds of emotional and sexual violence significantly reduced among wives with high empowerment indices. The results suggest the urgent need to curb alcohol consumption among men and the simultaneous socio-economic upliftment of women to reduce the prevalence of IPV. To further safeguard the welfare of women, it is also necessary to raise women’s understanding of current laws and their stringent enforcement.

Epidemiological, clinical and psychological aspects of victims of female child sexual abuse in the gynaecology and obstetrics department of tertiary hospital, Karnataka

Child sexual abuse is an alarming reality that although is recognized as a serious violation of human well-being and of the law often goes unreported or overlooked. The present study was planned to identify the clinic-social profile of victims of child sexual abuse, circumstances under which these heinous crimes have occurred and study the psychological status of the victims. A retrospective record-based study from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2021 conducted in a tertiary care hospital of north Karnataka, India. All the female patients aged less than 18 years admitted during our investigation period who were victims of child sexual abuse were included in the study. All case reports obtained from the medical record division and fulfilling the inclusion criteria were scrutinized by the authors for completeness of data. The data was entered in MS excel master sheet and statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software version 22. A total of 158 victims of female child sexual abuse were documented in our centre. The age of the victims ranged from 1 to 17 years and that of abusers varied from 15 years to 75 years. For most incidents, the offenders were known to the victims. The highest incidence of sexual assault was reported in abusers’ home, followed by victim’s home. Majority of the female children were abused multiple times (45.6%). There is an urgent need for comprehensive prevention programs, awareness campaigns, accessible support services, public awareness campaigns and legal enhancements to address CSA effectively in schools and communities that educate children on recognizing and reporting abuse.

How do young men narrate the redemption story of a sexual assault perpetrator?

ABSTRACT Background: Little is known about how young men who have committed sexual assault might acknowledge wrongdoing and eventually change and make amends. There are practical barriers to seeking the real redemption stories of perpetrators. Objective: To explore hypothetical pathways to young men’s accountability-taking and amends (i.e. redemption) after perpetration of sexual assault. Method: In a pre-registered, qualitative story completion study, we presented heterosexual, cisgender college men (N = 54) with a date-based sexual assault story written by a fictional male perpetrator. Participants were prompted to complete the story so that the protagonist, who initially denies wrongdoing, eventually changes and becomes a violence prevention advocate. Results: A thematic analysis of the redemption stories revealed that this study’s speculative task was a challenging one. Half of the stories did not provide an explanation for how the perpetrator was able to acknowledge wrongdoing. Overall, individualistic themes (e.g. he introspected) were more common than relational, community, or societal facilitators of redemption. Conclusions: Without infrastructure for accountability-taking and repair, or narrative exemplars to draw from in public life, it is difficult to envision redemption from violence. Rare gender-based, structurally attuned analyses of sexual violence in the stories point the way towards a more transformative vision of redemption.

Does No Mean No? Situational and Dispositional Factors Influence Emerging Adult Men's Intentions to Use Assault Tactics in Response to Women's Sexual Refusal During Hookups.

Hookups can result in sexual assault when men do not listen to requests from women to stop. It is thus important to identify factors that influence men's decisions to override direct refusals in these situations. Presently, we administered first-person vignettes depicting a prototypical hookup wherein the woman refuses the man's attempt to escalate intimacy. Using a national sample of emerging adult men (N = 420), we found that they on average did not completely rule out coercive or forcible tactics, but those elevated on rape myth acceptance, hypermasculinity, and psychopathy were uniquely at risk of assault when controlling for several other traits known to correlate with rape. Participants also reported being likelier to use coercive sexual practices when refusals occurred at higher levels of sexual intimacy already attained. Notably, diagnostic analyses revealed that a subset of men had a disproportionate influence on the regression estimates, and that these men were not only elevated across a range of assault-relevant traits, but also endorsed higher likelihoods of using coercion and force in the face of female sexual refusal. Although removal of these cases did not substantively alter the results, exploratory analyses revealed that these individuals responded differently to situational factors in ways that suggested sexual opportunism. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Sexual assault victims face a penalty for adjacent consent

Across 11 experimental studies ( n = 12,257), we show that female victims of sexual assault are blamed more and seen as less morally virtuous if their assault follows voluntary sexual intimacy, a factor we term “adjacent consent”. Moreover, we illuminate a psychological mechanism contributing to this penalty: When a woman who provided no consent whatsoever is assaulted, people tend to see her as more moral than if she were not victimized (the “Virtuous Victim Effect”)—yet people do not extend the same moral elevation to victims who consented to sex-adjacent activity before they were assaulted. Adjacent consent plays a unique role in undermining the moral elevation of rape victims; respondents continue to elevate victims when, in the absence of adjacent consent, we introduce other information that makes the perpetrator seem less abhorrent or that makes the victim seem promiscuous, reckless, or sexually interested in her perpetrator. Furthermore, adjacent consent disqualifies rape victims from moral elevation in the eyes of a wide swath of respondents—including political liberals and undergraduates who, when no assault occurs, have no moral objection to (or even applaud) the victim’s voluntary sexual intimacy. Our results thus illuminate how sexual assault victims may be penalized for adjacent consent by even progressive or “sex-positive” communities. Finally, we identify a potential real-world consequence of adjacent consent: using field data from over 180,000 students across 33 U.S. universities, we find evidence that victims are less likely to report their sexual assaults in cases involving adjacent consent.

How men view stigma, shame, and blame in #MeToo

AbstractObjectiveThis study examined how men respond to #MeToo scenarios alongside perceptions of rape myths and gender equity. It examined social media post reactions of stigma, shame, fear repercussions, victim blaming, truth telling, and real assault belief.MethodsThe sample of 407 male survey participants responded to closed‐ and open‐ended questions in MTurk. Men responded to three #MeToo posts copied from Twitter, which included statements of sexual harassment and assault, to measure perceptions of stigmatization, shame, and victim blame. Variables also measured rape myth acceptance, gender equity ideals, and demographic variables such as race, ethnicity, employment, and relationship status.ResultsThe study demonstrated most men ascribed to rape myths and rape culture in their beliefs, but these beliefs usually did not lead directly to their written responses. The quantitative data showed men who accept rape myths also perceive victims as earning outcomes of shame, stigma, and blame. The qualitative data demonstrated most men supported victims’ posts sharing their #MeToo stories with few harmful, stigmatizing responses.ConclusionMen hold beliefs that might not lead to direct behaviors in responding to #MeToo posts. Additional research must be completed using other survey platforms to gain the male response to victim story sharing.

Stop leaving people with disability behind: Reviewing comprehensive sexuality education for people with disability

Background: The pathologisation of people with disability1 has long affected the educational quality of the sexuality education they receive. Whilst concern for people with disability has been growing in some comprehensive sexuality education settings, the quality of education in these spaces is variable and typically accommodations for people with disability are not made. The lack of accessibility fosters few opportunities to learn about and practise skills related to establishing and maintaining social relationships, including platonic, romantic and sexual relationships, thereby limiting informed decision-making. Moreover, the lack of good quality sexuality education significantly increases the risk of sexual abuse, assault, and family and domestic violence – impacting people with disability’s self-determination, autonomy and ultimately, ability to work, live independently, and maintain their mental and physical health. Objective: Few reviews of comprehensive sexuality education programmes for people with disability have been reported. Therefore, four current comprehensive sexuality education programmes for people with disability were reviewed, including their content and the topics included; the feasibility of implementation including costs; different accessibility considerations for varied learners and disabilities; and methods of delivery. This allowed an assessment of their strengths and opportunities for people with disability. Results: The review highlighted strong positive changes occurring within the field, as well as challenges due to funding limitations, and the extensive number of topics under comprehensive sexuality education that need to be addressed in teaching and delivering quality comprehensive sexuality education to people with disability. Conclusion: Informed by the evidence in this review, we advocate for the inclusion of a more comprehensive range of topics, including gender and sexuality diversity within accessible comprehensive sexuality education for people with disability, and the establishment of appropriate forms of teacher education and training to increase confidence and comfort when delivering comprehensive sexuality education to people with disability.

“It Literally Makes Me Feel Harder to Kill”: A Qualitative Study of the Perceived Benefits of Recreational Martial Arts Practice Among Women Sexual Assault Survivors

“It Literally Makes Me Feel Harder to Kill”: A Qualitative Study of the Perceived Benefits of Recreational Martial Arts Practice Among Women Sexual Assault Survivors

EHR Documentation and Referrals for Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Assault.

Hospital settings provide a unique opportunity to screen for interpersonal violence (IPV) and sexual assault (SA) yet often lack health IT solutions for generating reliable and valid medico-legal documentation via forensic reports. The objective of the project was to evaluate a pilot, technology "tool" for documenting cases of IPV and SA that could support forensic nurse examiners and related stakeholders in generating high quality documentation and coordinating victim support services. The tool was a digital health intervention implemented for use among forensic nurse examiners, law enforcement, victim support organizations, and more within four counties of California. We conducted a mixed-methods pilot study that captured data around the adoption, use, and impact of having access to the newly implemented tool. The tool successfully went live in all four pilot counties at different time points with different proportions of use by county and form type: exams, referrals, addenda, risk assessments, and other. Participants were motivated to use the tool out of a perceived need for data handling functionalities that went beyond traditional manual (paper) means. Key functionalities included body mapping, data quality controls within validated forms, attaching addenda to already existing case reports, and the means to distribute data to external recipients. Further study and development are needed on functions to incorporate into body maps and forms, and understanding the information needs of law enforcement and victim support organizations. Our evaluation demonstrated the feasibility and acceptability of a health IT tool to support forensic nurse documentation of IPV and SA, and direct information to multiple legal and support-related stakeholders. Areas of future development include integrating IPV and SA-related data standards for digitized forms, enhancements to the body mapping feature, and understanding the needs of those who receive digital data from forensic nurse examiners within the tool.

Nature-Young Adult Relationship in Anderson’s Speak: An Ecofeminist Reading

This paper explores ecofeminism through a connection to the nature and a sexually assaulted young adult girl in Laurie Halse Anderson’s novel Speak. This study argues that adolescents suffer from the effects of rape. It also contends that aside from abusing teenagers, sexual assaulters also damage the victim’s ability to interact with the outside world. The rapists prevent the female protagonist from having healthy relationship with the nature. Therefore, it is crucial to re-establish connections with oneself, other people, and the natural environment in order to escape the horrible act of physical violation. For that purpose, this research paper employs the perspectives of Roberta S. Trites about young adults; and opinions of Carlos J. Adams and Greta Gaard about ecofeminism. In conclusion, this study hopes to pave the path for future research into the comprehensive interaction between a young adult’s (female) body and nature.

Effects of generational age on religious coping and psychological outcomes in females exposed to interpersonal violence.

This study seeks to examine the psychological outcomes and religious coping styles of women who are exposed to IpV as it relates to generational differences. A national stratified convenience sample of women in the United States (N = 1,165) was recruited online using the Qualtrics crowdsourcing service. Participants (n = 538) who reported having experienced interpersonal violence (i.e., sexual assault, physical assault, assault with a weapon) were designated as the IpV group. Those (n = 627) who reported no exposure to these events were designated as a no IpV comparison group (Non-IpV). Several two-way analyses of variance revealed that there was a statistically significant interaction between generations and IpV for depression, F(2, 1159) = 3.78, p = .023, anxiety, F(2, 1159) = 4.77, p = .009, stress, F(2, 1159) = 4.10, p = .017, and positive religious coping, F(2, 1,159) = 3.57, p = .028. These results suggest that generational differences may exist in psychological outcomes and RS coping in women who have experienced IpV compared to comparison groups. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Software-assisted automated detection and identification of "unknown" analogues of benzodiazepines in liquid chromatography mass spectrometry analysis.

Benzodiazepines (BZDs) construct a large group of psychoactive drugs acting as depressants of the central nervous system (CNS) and used in medicine as sedatives and anxiolytic and antiepileptic agents. The illicit use of these materials is a worldwide problem, and for many years, part of the benzodiazepines have been abused as rape drugs. For example, flunitrazepam (Rohypnol) is most commonly linked by media reports to drug-facilitated sexual assaults, more commonly referred to as "date rape." Furthermore, there are growing concerns for other misuses of these drugs. Over the last few years, there was an increase in the number, type, and availability of new psychoactive substances (NPS) belonging to the benzodiazepine group, challenging standard forensic labs to fully identify the chemical structure of new, unknown benzodiazepines. This work demonstrates a new application of the automated tool for the detection and identification of benzodiazepine analogues using high-resolution-accurate-mass LC-MS analysis, followed by "Compound Discoverer" (CD) software data processing, to automatically detect various benzodiazepine analogues by picking peaks and compare them to in silico calculated modifications made on a predefined basic backbone. Subsequently, a complete structural elucidation for the proposed molecular formula is obtained by MS/MS data analysis of the suspected component. This method was found to be useful for the automated detection and putative identification of a series of nine "unknown" benzodiazepine analogues, at concentrations in the low ng/mL range. We hereby present a general demonstration of this powerful tool for the forensic community in the detection and identification of hazardous unknown compounds.

The dyadic effects of posttraumatic stress symptoms on the regulation of respiratory sinus arrhythmia following an acute stress induction among couples.

Posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) can have detrimental influences on both individual and couple functioning, including how individuals respond to stressors and regulate emotions. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) can serve as a key indicator of emotion regulation; however, few studies have examined psychophysiological stress reactions within a couple's context. Forty-three couples (N = 86 individuals) with a trauma history were assessed for PTSS and RSA at baseline. One partner then completed a stressor task using a film-clip depicting sexual assault. Afterward, the couple was reunited and completed a dyadic discussion task where both partners' RSA was continuously measured while they discussed the stressed partner's thoughts and feelings about the stressful film-clip. Moderated repeated measures actor-partner interdependence models were conducted, examining the self and coregulation of RSA and moderation of such regulation by PTSS. There was significant self-regulation from both partners, and a coregulation process whereby the nonstressed partner's RSA influenced the rate of change in RSA of their stressed partner. Additionally, greater PTSS in the nonstressed partner was associated with a weakening of both self and coregulation. Patterns of both self- and coregulation, within and between romantic partners emerged and illustrate the impact of PTSS within these dyadic physiologic processes. Findings have theoretical and clinical implications in physiological dyadic interactions and potential stress recovery, particularly emphasizing the relevance of examining biomarkers such as RSA among partners with a trauma history during recovery from stress. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Global prevalence of non-partner sexual violence against women.

Sexual violence against women is a human rights violation and public health concern, with serious implications for women's physical and mental health. Reducing non-partner sexual violence, including rape, sexual assault and other forms of non-contact sexual abuse, is one of the main indicators of the sustainable development goals. World Health Organization estimates, based on available prevalence data from 137 countries between 2000 and 2018, showed that, globally, 6% of women aged 15-49years reported experiencing sexual violence in their lifetime from someone other than an intimate partner, with prevalence rates varying across regions. However, the reporting, measurement and documentation of the global extent of non-partner sexual violence against women is methodologically challenging, resulting in a gross underestimation of its magnitude and impact. To prevent and respond to this issue, policy-makers must consider interventions on education, access to relevant health-care services, public awareness, and effective and comprehensive legislation. To better estimate the prevalence of both sexual violence overall and non-partner sexual violence, it is essential to continue to strengthen the measurement of non-partner sexual violence, including the types of acts asked about and the mode of interviewing. Further research is needed to understand the cumulative impact of different forms of sexual violence on the lives of women and girls, including sexual violence during childhood and its associated risk with further exposure. Funding is required for more research and implementation of interventions to prevent and reduce all forms of violence against women and girls, including sexual violence.

Increased Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Level in a Nonsexually Active Young Female

BackgroundQuantitative and qualitative human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) tests are obtained in the emergency department (ED) to determine if a female of child-bearing age is pregnant. A positive hCG result is commonly assumed to indicate an intrauterine or other form of pregnancy. However, elevated hCG levels can also result from various other conditions, such as ovarian tumors, pituitary tumors, and thyroid disorders. Intracranial germ cell tumors, rare central nervous system tumors capable of secreting hCG, primarily affect adolescent and young adult females. Case ReportA 16-year-old female student without significant past medical history presented to our ED with a complaint of intermittent bilateral frontal headache for two days. Last menstrual period started two days prior to presentation. The headache was associated with phonophobia, photophobia, nausea, and vomiting. Serum quantitative hCG was elevated. She denied history of sexual activity or sexual assault. Transabdominal ultrasound was negative for intrauterine pregnancy. Obstetrics and gynecology as well as pediatric oncology were consulted. Subsequent investigations, including brain imaging, revealed a 3.5 cm mass in the right caudate nucleus and corpus callosum. The patient was diagnosed with an intracranial nongerminomatous germ cell tumor, necessitating hospitalization and prompt initiation of chemotherapy. Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This?An elevated quantitative hCG is not always indicative of pregnancy, especially in a young patient without sexual history. In the case of a nonrevealing transabdominal ultrasound, obstetrics and gynecology should be consulted for discussion of further testing and imaging. Emergency physicians should include malignancy high on their differential since prompt initiation of chemotherapy, evaluation by surgical services, and family planning will be required.

Preliminary Evaluation of the SafeBAE Youth-Developed Sexual Violence Prevention Summit

ABSTRACT The current study evaluates a single-day youth-designed sexual assault prevention summit for adolescents. Attendees (N = 284) completed pre-and post-summit surveys addressing 1) confidence in consent knowledge; 2) perceived capability to respond to someone who was assaulted or harassed; 3) awareness of Title IX rights; 4) perceived capacity to get help for a survivor; 5) perceived acceptability of sexual coercion; 6) endorsement of belief that it is wrong to stop sexual activity once it starts; 7) perceived seriousness of sharing nude photos without permission; and, 8) perceived prevalence of false accusations of sexual violence. At post-summit, participants reported increased perceived confidence in consent knowledge, increased perceived capacity to respond to a survivor, increased awareness of Title IX rights, and increased perceived capacity to get help for a survivor. Both perceived acceptability of sexual coercion and endorsement of the belief that someone should not stop sexual activity decreased at post-summit. Findings provide preliminary support for a youth-developed sexual assault prevention summit.

The relation between weight bias attitudes and judgments of sexual assault scenarios.

The relation between weight bias attitudes and judgments of sexual assault scenarios.

Opening a Virtual Space before the Door of the Law: The Transnational Togani Effect from Silenced to Angels Wear White

Through an examination of what the author calls the transnational Togani effect, which challenges legislative failures across both screens and borders, the author hopes to show how social justice films are deployed as a mode of critique that directly impacts the criminal justice system. The author's analysis of the transnational Togani effect therefore encompasses and connects the dimensions of virtuality and actuality in their interactive relation in the contemporary media environment. The author situates this interactive relationship between the virtual and the actual within a transnational framework because awareness of sexual assault is raised in cross-border contexts that are intertextual and interconnected. Drawing on the Deleuzian notion of the virtual and the actual and Giorgio Agamben's concept of inclusive exclusion, the author suggests that screen intervention is a virtual layer added to heterotopic space that serves as a possible resistance against the entrapment of human subjects by neoliberal governance, in which the law is “in force without significance.” As Deleuze shows, the virtual and the actual are fully real, and the relationship between them takes the form of a circuit. By exploring how the interlocking of virtuality and actuality comes to bear on the legal sphere, this article poses fundamental questions for cinema, or for audiovisual media in general, such as to what extent cinematic critique is capable of opening an alternative space for social justice.

Book Review: Anna Gjika, When Rape Goes Viral: Youth and Sexual Assault in the Digital Age.

In "When Rape Goes Viral: Youth and Sexual Assault in the Digital Age" Anna Gjika delves into the complex interplay between digital technology and the criminal justice system's handling of sexual violence, particularly among adolescents. The digital age has transformed many aspects of society, including how sexual violence is perpetrated, recorded, and prosecuted. This transformation raises critical questions about the adequacy of existing legal frameworks and the need for systemic reform to address the nuances of digital abuse effectively. Gjika’s work is pivotal as it uncovers the dual roles of digital platforms—both as tools for empowerment and instruments of victimization. The author uses a range of case studies to illustrate how digital media can both aid in bringing justice to victims and exacerbate their victimization through cyberbullying and unconsented sharing of intimate images. This scholarly analysis seeks to unpack the contributions of Gjika's work to the field of criminal justice, specifically in the context of digital harm, the inadequacies of existing legal frameworks, and the influence of gender dynamics, race, and circumstances surrounding sexual assault incidents.