Situations Of Sexual Violence Research Articles

Intention to Act: Predicting Bystander Intervention in Violent Situations in South Korea.

The purpose of this study is to explore the predictors of bystanders' intentions to intervene and types of intended intervention in domestic violence (DV) and sexual violence (SV) situations in South Korea. Using nationally representative data from the 2016 National Fact-Finding Survey on Gender Equality (N = 7,399) and logistic regression-based models, this study focused on two key predictors, bystander gender and attitudes about gender equality, while controlling for age, educational level, and employment status. Our findings indicated that males and females were equally likely to state intentions to intervene in both DV and SV situations. While both males and females were more likely to state that they would intervene indirectly rather than directly, females were even less likely to intervene directly than were males for both situations. Attitudes indicative of gender equality further increased the intention to intervene for DV and SV situations in multivariate models. Gender equality attitudes, however, decreased the intentions to intervene directly in DV but not SV situations. Limitations and implications are discussed.

A critical analysis of how sexual violence against women is defined and addressed within existing legal instruments in Bangladesh

Violence against Women (VAW) is considered a gender-specific human rights violation and is a form of discrimination that perpetuates women’s subordination and patriarchal structures throughout all levels of society. Research continues to demonstrate that the legal instruments dealing with sexual offences in Bangladesh have significant limitations and fail to meet international standards. This article identifies gaps between Bangladeshi domestic legal instruments and international legal instruments. In order to uncover and analyse the gaps, I employed thematic analysis techniques and a feminist legal theoretical lens. The findings of the study show that there are significant gaps and limitations regarding the conceptualisation of sexual violence, trial process, medical tests, variability of punishment, and protecting rights of victims in the present Bangladeshi legal instruments in comparison to the international instruments. This research provides insight into the alarming situation of sexual violence against women in Bangladesh and the problematic gaps within legal instruments in that nation, which governmental and academic authorities must consider if they are to be effective in preventing violence against women in Bangladesh.

Preventing sexual violence in adolescence: digital booklet construction and validity

Objective: To develop and analyze a digital booklet for preventing sexual violence in adolescence as proof of content validity. Methods: This is a methodological study developed in three stages: digital booklet construction based on the Falkembach model; material validity by a committee of experts using the Index of Agreement (IA), considering it greater than 80%; and assessment by the target audience (adolescents), based on the application of the Suitability Assessment of Materials (SAM), considering it “Superior” between 70% and 100%; “Suitable”, between 40 and 69%; “Unsuitable”, between 0 and 39%. Results: The digital booklet was considered valid by experts, with an agreement rate between 86% and 100%, and qualified as “Superior” by adolescents with a score percentage of 97% on the SAM. Conclusion: The booklet was considered valid by experts and target audience, being able to be used as a technological resource to identify situations of sexual violence in adolescence and enable the adoption of preventive behaviors.

The Logic of International Response to Anti-Violence and Sexual Integrity Agenda in Violent Conflict: Case of MINUSCA

A survivor-centered approach is at the heart of the international community’s humanitarian action today. In armed conflicts various forms of sexual violence are seen not only as accompanying violence, but also as a tool of pressure and warfare of the contesting parties, and important measures to prevent and counteract such acts have been included into the mandates of the UN peacekeeping missions. This research aims to identify the logic of international community’s action to counter conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) by strengthening peacekeeping initiatives, and complement ongoing research on the protection of women in armed conflict and situations of sexual violence. This goal entails an examination of all elements of the existing system: legal framework, the role of states, and the activities of the UN. The authors conducted a content analysis of the UN Security Council resolutions on the topic to trace conceptual terminological changes. At the same time, to identify the main contradictions in the rhetoric of states and, consequently, the motives of their actions, a discourse cluster analysis was used based on the statements of delegations in the UN Security Council. The resulting clusters display three unique positions of the national states that are mostly explained by different understandings of the term itself, the categories of victims of such violence, and the relevant tools for countering it. Emphasis could be placed on including sexual violence on the sanctions list, gender education in military training, increasing the number of women in peacekeeping and peacebuilding missions, or preventive measures. The authors identified the most active states pushing the anti-sexual violence agenda; they include Germany, the UK, the US, Canada, and France. The article also examines the practical implementation of UN peacekeeping mandates in terms of including measures to counteract sexual violence. The research confirms that peacekeeping missions are now more actively engaged in the international response to CRSV.

Concept of Restorative Justice in Criminal Acts of Sexual Violence with Child Perpetrator and Victims

This article aims to clarify the idea of restorative justice in situations of sexual violence where children are both the perpetrator and the victim. This study uses normative legal research with a statute and conceptual approaches. The results show that law enforcement against children as perpetrators of crimes of sexual violence with child victims must still pay attention to the principle of proportionality. This principle seeks to limit punitive consequences and restrain public responses so that they stay proportionate to juvenile perpetrators of sexual violence. In addition to focusing on activities, this idea also considers the child's environment. In the meantime, law enforcement that cannot be conducted through diversion must nevertheless regard the rights of the child, so that when children are criminalized, only half of the adult punishment is imposed, so that they can return to society appropriately and be equipped with skills.

RAPE AS A WEAPON OF WAR

War is an extraordinary, shameful and bloody phenomenon. During the wars that were fought in different countries of the world, people faced sexual violence from their enemy. Unfortunately, this situation currently exists in Ukraine. During the war launched by Russia on February 24, 2022, civilians are killed by firearms, and thousands of public infrastructure facilities (schools, hospitals, kindergartens, social security services, shopping centers, churches, etc.), high-rise and private buildings are destroyed.In addition to firearms, Russian troops-aggressor also use rape as weapon. There are several explanations why sexual violence is a weapon, and they are presented in this article. Rape and violence perpetrated by aggressors during war are often aimed at terrorizing the population, destroying families, humiliating soldiers whose women and children are left behind, and, as the war in Ukraine has shown, abuse and humiliate even elderly men and women, destroy families and communities. In some countries, there were even ideas that rape will change the ethnic composition of the next generation. Crimes related to rape and other types of sexual violence are usually latent. Victims do not want to talk about it, do not want to testify for many reasons: re-traumatization, stigmatization, and publicity. But evidence of Russian war crimes in Ukraine is collected by the International Criminal Court in The Hague, so such crimes must be registered. Victims must have a very strong motivation to testify. In some countries, it is already possible to receive compensation for causing damage. This is a tool that, on the one hand, can stimulate testimony, registration of a sexual crime, and on the other hand, to receive material compensation that will improve the standard of living. Social workers, together with other specialists, must advocate for the possibility of receiving reparations for victims in Ukraine.The article contains an answer to why it is important to document the facts of violence and rape, and which mechanisms of assistance exist in the world for victims. The article highlights importance of the work of specialists, namely social workers, psychologists and lawyers, in providing assistance to victims.This article focuses on the work of social workers in the situation of sexual violence during the war, and points out that, in addition to working on improving the provision of assistance to victims, social workers should learn the experience gained in the war situation in Ukraine and the experience of other countries.

Who Do We Model? A Brief Report Comparing Different Sources of Normative Influence on Adolescent Bystander Intervention

Adolescence is a critical period of development in which various socializing relationships can play an important role in shaping behavior. This study examined adolescents’ bystander helping in relation to their perceived norms supporting intervention in dating and sexual violence situations across four different norm-referent groups. Survey questions asked about students’ bystander behavior and perceptions of bystander norms based on whether the norm was endorsed by friends, parents, teachers, and people in town. Paper-and-pencil surveys were completed during the school day by high school students ( N = 609) in three different towns in northern New England. We used multinomial logistic regression to compare the impact of different norms on bystander behavior. Friend- and parent-referent bystander norms were both individually associated with increased helping behaviors. Multivariate analysis found only friend-referent norms were significantly related to more frequent helping behaviors. The implications of these results can inform norms-based prevention programs for adolescents.

Transcultural Adaptation and Validity Evidence of the Child Forensic Attitude Scale (CFAS) – Brazilian Version

ABSTRACT Child sexual abuse is a serious problem in Brazil and requires actions taken together by Justice, Security, Health and Social Welfare to effectively protect and guarantee victims’ rights. Professionals working in these fields have difficulty in evaluating cases, owing to limitations of the Brazilian Welfare Network and lack of specialized training. Such difficulty may cause professionals to carry out poorly substantiated assessments and fail to properly protect victims. Instruments to measure professionals’ attitudes in the assessment of situations of sexual violence are scarce. As a result, this study aimed to adapt and evaluate validity evidence of the Child Forensic Attitude Scale (CFAS) in the Brazilian context. A total of 177 professionals (86.4% females), with a mean age of 37.6 years (SD = 10.1 years) participated in the survey. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis showed that in the Brazilian context, the scale structure presents three first-order oblique factors, namely “Fear of Not Identifying Abuse” (F-Under), “Fear of Overcalling Abuse” (F-Over) and “Skepticism” (Skep). The internal consistency of the three dimensions was satisfactory (F-Under, α = 0.66, F-Over, α = 0.80, and Skep, α = 0.92). Evidence has shown that the CFAS can be used to evaluate health professionals’ attitudes when assessing cases of sexual violence against children and adolescents in Brazil. This instrument can support the assessment of health professionals’ attitudes, and it emphasizes the importance of qualifying Brazilian professionals in the Welfare Network services by providing training opportunities regarding work with victims of sexual abuse.

BYSTANDER INTERVENTION AMONG DRINKING GAMERS Bystander Intervention Among College Student Drinking Gamers: Sexual Assault Attitudes, Self-Efficacy, and Intent to Intervene.

Heavy drinking and sexual assault warrant significant concern on U.S. college campuses as emerging evidence suggests that the risk for sexual victimization is amplified in the context of high-risk drinking behavior. Despite recent attention to sexual assault (e.g., MeToo Movement), rates of perpetration remain largely unchanged. In applying the bystander intervention framework, our understanding of the relation between key factors that may facilitate or prevent behavioral action, or when and how these factors are most salient, is limited. The present study examined whether bystander attitudes and bystander self-efficacy interact to predict bystander intent to intervene. Hypotheses were tested among college student drinking gamers, a group at particular risk for involvement in situations of sexual violence. Participants (N = 964) were traditional college-aged student drinking gamers recruited from three universities across the East and Southern Central United States. After controlling for Greek affiliation, prior intervention training and social desirability, hypotheses were partially supported. Higher rape supportive attitudes (rape myth acceptance) were negatively associated with bystander intent to intervene across all participants, but bystander self-efficacy significantly moderated the relation between bystander attitudes (rape myth acceptance) and bystander intent to intervene only among women college student drinking gamers. The interaction effect was not significant among men. For all participants, there was a significant relation between bystander self-efficacy and bystander intent to intervene such that as self-efficacy increases, bystander intent to intervene increases. The discussion addresses implications for sexual assault prevention programs on college campuses and directions for future research.

Describing youth as actionists for peer sexual violence prevention: correlates of opportunity to act

Objective:An emerging prevention strategy to reduce peer sexual violence among adolescents is bystander training (that is, actionism). The situational-cognitive model of actionism describes key variables that may promote action, the first of which is detecting the opportunity to help. The purpose of this study was to examine this first stage of action to better understand youth who report opportunity to respond to situations of sexual violence. Method:The current cross-sectional study examined a measure of youth bystander opportunity in a baseline sample of youth in school grades 7–10 in the Great Plains region of the US (N=2,225). Students indicated whether they witnessed four situations related to risk of peer sexual violence. Results:Opportunities for actionism varied based on the type of situation. Opportunities to intervene were most common for situations involving unwanted touching and sexual rumours. Older youth, girls and youth with self-reported risk factors such as alcohol use and internalising symptoms were more likely to report opportunities for actionism. Discussion:Further study of bystander opportunity and correlates of bystander opportunity could help better tailor prevention approaches to provide practice in strategies that are based on the range of opportunities which particular groups of youth may be most likely to encounter.

Correlates of Bystander Intentions and Behavior among Community College Students in Situations of Sexual Violence.

Sexual violence (SV) is a public health problem on college campuses. Research suggests that bystanders can effectively prevent and respond in situations of SV. There is no research to date concerning correlates of bystander behavior (e.g., gender, perceptions of SV) on community college campuses. However, there are notable differences between students enrolled in two- and four-year colleges. We conducted two exploratory studies across seven community colleges in one northeastern state to examine correlates of bystander intentions and behavior. In Studies 1 and 2, the majority of respondents identified as women, heterosexual, and White. We administered online surveys that inquired about demographics, peer attitudes, knowledge of sexual consent, history of victimization, and intent to help (Study 1) or self-reported bystander behavior (Study 2). The first study (n = 1,067) demonstrated that gender (i.e., identifying as woman), less accepting peer attitudes toward SV, and greater knowledge of sexual consent and awareness of campus SV were significantly associated with bystander intentions. The second study (n = 1,506) indicated that age (i.e., younger than 25 years old), greater knowledge of sexual consent, and victimization history were associated with bystander behavior. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Completeness, consistency and non-duplicity of records of child sexual abuse on the Notifiable Health Conditions Information System in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil, 2009-2019.

To evaluate the completeness, consistency and duplicity of records of child sexual abuse on the Notifiable Health Conditions Information System (SINAN) in Santa Catarina, Brazil, between 2009 and 2019. This was a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study aimed to assess the quality of SINAN data regarding completeness, consistency and non-duplicity. 3,489 cases of violence were reported, with a 662.5% increase in the number of notifications in the period studied, with the increase in the number of referral centers for the care of people in situations of sexual violence in the state, explaining 46.7% of the variation in the number of cases, between the years studied. Consistency was excellent in 90.0% of the records; and completeness ranged between excellent and good in 92.3% of them. There was an increased trend in completeness for 14 variables in the period. There were no duplicate records. Data from the sexual violence against children surveillance system were considered adequate regarding the questions that were assessed in the study.

Assessing the care of doctors, nurses, and nursing technicians for people in situations of sexual violence in Brazil.

This study aimed to assess the quality of care for people in situations of sexual violence in health services, identifying positive and negative indicators, and suggest solutions. This is a cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach and convenience sampling. The sample consisted of 134 professionals (doctors, nurses, and nursing technicians) working in public health services. Three instruments were used, namely, a structure evaluation form, a questionnaire, and a process evaluation form. The results revealed eight positive indicators (adequate infrastructure; rooms for patient assistance; gynecological bed; visual and auditory privacy; waiting rooms; a professional team comprising physicians, nurses, nursing technicians, and receptionists; adequate training of staff to provide health services to people in situations of sexual violence; and most healthcare professionals asking their patients about possible sexual violence situations) and nine negative indicators (reduced number of rooms for patient assistance with toilets; absence of protocols to identify and assist people in situations of sexual violence; absence of leaflets, posters, and other materials on sexual violence; absence of a referral flow chart (specific for people in situations of sexual violence) to specialized services; reduced number of consultations with suspected and/or confirmed cases of sexual violence; non-use of specific protocols; not referral of these patients to the specialized care network; most professionals consider the health unit where they work as unable to help people in situations of sexual violence; a decrease in attendance at health facilities that do not have a protocol for assisting people in situations of sexual violence), making clear the interventions necessary to promote the provision of quality health services that meet the specific needs of people in situations of sexual violence. These indicators are expected to provide subsidies for the improvement of public policies aimed at listening, welcoming, identifying, and treating people in situations of sexual violence.

Engaging or Disengaging: Understanding the Differences between Actionists and Unhelpful Bystanders among Youth Reacting to Peer Sexual Violence

ABSTRACT A growing body of research examines variables that may improve or impede helpful bystander action to prevent peer sexual assault among adolescents. The current study examines how individual and relational variables distinguish youth who respond to sexual violence in unhelpful versus helpful ways. Students were given a survey to assess frequency of actions taken in response to four peer sexual violence situations. Helpful actions were more likely among students who endorsed positive bystander attitudes and who reported more proactive prevention behaviors and less likely among students who self-reported peer violence perpetration. The findings support bystander prevention efforts that change social norms, increase proactive behaviors, and promote responsibility for intervening. Effectiveness may be enhanced through tailored approaches for youth most at risk for unhelpful bystander responses.

Victim vs. survivor: the effect of labels and consensual sexual behaviour on observers’ perceptions of sexual assault

ABSTRACT Labels guide our perceptions of ambiguous events (Eberhardt, J. L., Dasgupta, N., & Banaszynski, T. L. (2003). Believing is seeing: The effects of racial labels and implicit beliefs on face perception. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 29(3), 360–370. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167202250215). They influence the way people interpret others’ behaviours, attribute blame, and offer support in situations of sexual violence (Campbell, R. (2008). The psychological impact of rape victims. American Psychologist, 63(8), 702. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.63.8.702. In the present study we investigated the effect of labels and consensual sexual behaviour on observers’ perceptions of hypothetical situations of sexual assault. Further, we examined their effect on the perceived amount of social support offered to affected women. The relationship between labels and consensual sexual behaviour with sexual attitudes was also examined. Participants were 137 undergraduates (52 men and 85 women) from an Indian private university. Results showed that labels and consensual sexual behaviour have some effect on the perceived severity of the sexual assault, perceived responsibility of the women, and the amount of social support offered to them. The findings underscored the importance of labels and cautioned against their arbitrary use. Further implications are discussed.

The Role of Guilt, Shame, and Social Distance in Bystander-Focused Prevention of Campus Sexual Violence

Guided by the appraisal-tendency framework and construal level theory, this study investigates how emotional appeals (guilt vs. shame) and social distance frames (distant vs. proximal) influence college students’ attitude toward bystander action campaign and intention to intervene in sexual violence situations. The findings indicated a two-way interaction effect between these two message factors on campaign attitude and behavior intention. Additionally, self-efficacy was found to be the mediator that underlying the proposed match-based effects. The findings provide theoretical implications into persuasive communication in the context of campus sexual violence bystander intervention and offer practical insights to advertisers and social/health marketers.

Creencias sobre prostitución y violencia sexual en adolescentes

La prostitución es un fenómeno de explotación sexual demandado por hombres cada vez más jóvenes (Ranea-Triviño, 2019). Nuestro objetivo fue evaluar creencias y actitudes hacia la prostitución y violencia sexual en 211 adolescentes. Más del 50% no creen que busquen relaciones para realizar prácticas diferentes, pero sí para saciar necesidades. Las chicas creen que buscan relaciones para sentirse superiores (χ²=11,29; p=,001). Mayoritariamente no relacionan prostitución con engaño o cosificación de mujeres. Más de un 39% no menciona las situaciones de violencia sexual presentadas. Debemos intervenir ante creencias “justificadoras” o “tolerantes” sobre prostitución y violencia sexual en adolescentes.

Brazilian Protocol for Sexually Transmitted Infections 2020: sexual violence.

This article addresses sexual violence, as part of the Clinical Protocol and Therapeutic Guidelines for Comprehensive Care for People with Sexually Transmitted Infections, published by the Brazilian Ministry of Health. Guidance is provided in programmatic and operational management, focusing on the service network for people in situation of sexual violence, recommendations to health staff about pregnancy and viral and non-viral sexually transmitted infections prophylactic measures, in addition to surveillance action strategies. Sexual violence is an encompassing issue that includes wider areas than the health field. It involves conceptual and programmatic challenges for health staff, at the forefront of care for affected people and also to the implementation of prevention strategies addressed to the whole society.

PROTEÇÃO DOS DIREITOS HUMANOS DE CRIANÇAS E ADOLESCENTES VÍTIMAS DE VIOLÊNCIA SEXUAL

O artigo discorre sobre alguns aspectos evidenciados por processos políticos quando da especificação dos direitos humanos fundamentais de crianças e adolescentes. O objetivo consistiu em demonstrar os desafios e as dificuldades para o usufruto desses direitos para aqueles que são vítimas de violência sexual. As pesquisas de campo desenvolvidas, por meio de entrevistas, reconheceram a atuação de redes intersetoriais de políticas públicas como alternativa para a restituição dos direitos violados. Os resultados das entrevistas com profissionais, em duas realidades municipais, demonstraram que o investimento na construção de redes intersetoriais, para que formulem respostas de atendimento pautadas em protocolos e fluxos de atendimentos compatíveis com as realidades locais, é um caminho consistente para a proteção dos direitos humanos de crianças e adolescentes em situação de violência sexual.

Cultura de la violación, un análisis del continuo en la violencia sexual que viven las mujeres

La violencia sexual se destaca como una de las expresiones de la Violencia Basada en Género; siendo esta expresión, una de las mayormente sufridas por las mujeres en diversas partes del mundo y en distintos ámbitos de índole familiar, laboral, social. A raíz de la presente investigación se analiza el contexto nicaragüense y mexicano, como escenarios de la región latinoamericana, donde se normalizan y justifican las diversas manifestaciones de violencias sufridas por las mujeres, todo ello a partir de una cultura de violación legitimadas por sociedades de ambos contextos. Se pretende reconocer los factores que influyen en la normalización y justificación ante situaciones de violencia sexual que sufren las mujeres, identificándose las prácticas de re victimización constantes que la sociedad proyecta ante estos escenarios de violencia hacia la mujer, afectando con ello, el desarrollo integral y autonomía de las mujeres violentadas. Es necesario reconocer las expresiones de la cultura de la violación desde una perspectiva holística y compleja que de pautas para interpretar y relacionar la misma con elementos sociales, jurídicos, cotidianos. La información recolectada aporta a determinar la forma en que el imaginario social refuerza y avala una cultura transgresora de derechos humanos; partiendo de este nivel de concientización para sustentar ideas y propuestas estratégicas que mermen los efectos de una cultura de violación. El presente artículo se elabora desde una perspectiva integral, con métodos - técnicas de investigación cualitativa y documental.