Factors associated with rape

When we think about rape do we consider what the contributing factors may/may not have been?

Could age of the perpetrator play a role?

What about:
• education level
• income level/unemployment
• racial differences
• parental absence (emotional and/or physical)
• the quality of affective relationships with parents
• Exposure to trauma in childhood
• Teasing, harassment or bullying

To find out more about this, see the following report: Understanding Men’s Health and Use of Violence: Interface of Rape and HIV in South Africa. Jewkes R, Sikweyiya Y., Morrell R & Dunkle K. 2009

Understanding Mens Health & Use of Violence (Interface of Rape & HIV in SA)

Sexual Violence and HIV Fact Sheet

25 November – 10 December marks the commemoration of 16 Days of Activism of no violence against women and children.

This period includes other important commemorative days like:

1 December – World AIDS day
3 December – International Day for Persons living with Disabilities
10 December – International Human Rights Day

Have you thought about the link between sexual violence and HIV?

Women may be exposed to HIV during rape and also mediated through gender power inequalities and the impact of sexual violence on a women’s sense of self, and in particular perceptions of control over sexual access to their bodies and their self-esteem.

Follow this link to find out more: http://www.afroaidsinfo.org/MRCWeb/appmanager/mrc/afroaidsinfo?_nfpb=true&_windowLabel=editorials_1_1&editorials_1_1_actionOverride=%2Fpageflows%2Feditorials%2Fbegin&editorials_1_1cm_nodepath=%2FBEA+Repository%2FArticles%2FHP%2FWomen%2FSexual+violence%2FFactsheet

Sexual Violence Research Agenda

The Sexual Violence Research Initiative Forum (SVRI) has developed a research agenda (pdf format, 302 kb) for sexual violence.

Sexual Violence Research Agenda 2013

The agenda was informed by a review of published literature on sexual violence, a series of SVRI facilitated international expert meetings and discussions, as well as recommendations arising from the WHO World Report on Violence and Health.

The key focus areas for research in the field of sexual violence include:

• Nature, Prevalence, Social Context and Risk Factors associated with Sexual Violence
• Sexual Violence Prevention
• Appropriateness and Effectiveness of Sexual Violence Services
• Childhood Sexual Abuse
• Sexual Violence in Conflict and Emergency Settings
• HIV and Sexual Violence

We trust you will find this resource useful and informative.

We look forward to hearing how this document has helped you.

Rape in South Africa – why so under-reported?

http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2013/nov/04/south-africa-rape-problem-crime-under-reported

Have you met Sweetie?

There are an estimated 750,000 paedophiles online at any given time waiting for children to come online.

A Dutch child-rights organisation has opened our eyes to a new form of child exploitation. This video is safe for work but will upset sensitive viewers.

Watch how they measured the scale of the problem with the help of a girl named Sweetie.

http://www.youtube.com/sweetie?annotation_id=annotation_261749069&feature=iv&src_vid=aGmKmVvCzkw

The Question of Transparency

Our post this week was inspired by an abstract entitled: The burden of intelligibility: disabled women’s testimony in rape trials by Mandal S. Indian J. Gend. Stud. 2013; 20(1): 1-29 and can be found at: http://www.safetylit.org/citations/index.php?fuseaction=citations.viewdetails&citationIds%5b%5d=citjournalarticle_389751_37

The writer of this abstract asks valuable questions which gives us a lot to think about i.e.

• What is the evidentiary value given to a woman’s testimony in a rape trial, when she is disabled?

• How is her testimony conveyed non-verbally and made accessible to the judges through an interpreter – processed by a legal culture that values descriptive precision and clarity?

• How does “clarity” itself act as a sieve through which the testimony of the disabled person is passed to determine if the allegation of rape is proved, beyond reasonable doubt?

• How is the testimony of the disabled person devalued and disregarded through a combination of evidentiary, doctrinal and ideological practices inscribed by law?

How would you answer these questions?