Sexual Abuse

CHAPTER 6
Sexual violence
CHAPTER 6. SEXUAL VIOLENCE
149
Background
How is sexual violence defined?
Sexual violence occurs throughout the world.

Although in most countries there has been little
research conducted on the problem, available data
suggest that in some countries nearly one in four
women may experience sexual violence by an
intimate partner (13), and up to one-third of
adolescent girls report their first sexual experience
as being forced (46).
Sexual violence has a profound impact on
physical and mental health. As well as causing
physical injury, it is associated with an increased
risk of a range of sexual and reproductive health
problems, with both immediate and long-term
consequences (4, 716). Its impact on mental
health can be as serious as its physical impact, and
may be equally long lasting (1724). Deaths
following sexual violence may be as a result of
suicide, HIV infection (25) or murder the latter
occurring either during a sexual assault or subsequently, as a murder of honour (26). Sexual
violence can also profoundly affect the social wellbeing of victims; individuals may be stigmatized
and ostracized by their families and others as a
consequence (27, 28).
Coerced sex may result in sexual gratification on
the part of the perpetrator, though its underlying
purpose is frequently the expression of power and
dominance over the person assaulted. Often, men
who coerce a spouse into a sexual act believe their
actions are legitimate because they are married to
the woman.
Rape of women and of men is often used as a
weapon of war, as a form of attack on the enemy,
typifying the conquest and degradation of its
women or captured male fighters (29). It may also
be used to punish women for transgressing social
or moral codes, for instance, those prohibiting
adultery or drunkenness in public. Women and
men may also be raped when in police custody or in
prison.
While sexual violence can be directed against
both men and women, the main focus of this
chapter will be on the various forms of sexual
violence against women, as well as those directed
against young girls by people other than caregivers.
Sexual violence is defined as:

any sexual act, attempt to obtain a sexual act,
unwanted sexual comments or advances, or acts to
traffic, or otherwise directed, against a persons
sexuality using coercion, by any person regardless
of their relationship to the victim, in any setting,
including but not limited to home and work.
Coercion can cover a whole spectrum of degrees
of force. Apart from physical force, it may involve
psychological intimidation, blackmail or other
threats for instance, the threat of physical harm,
of being dismissed from a job or of not obtaining a
job that is sought. It may also occur when the
person aggressed is unable to give consent for
instance, while drunk, drugged, asleep or mentally
incapable of understanding the situation.
Sexual violence includes rape, defined as
physically forced or otherwise coerced penetration
even if slight of the vulva or anus, using a penis,
other body parts or an object. The attempt to do so
is known as attempted rape. Rape of a person by
two or more perpetrators is known as gang rape.
Sexual violence can include other forms of assault
involving a sexual organ, including coerced contact
between the mouth and penis, vulva or anus.
Forms and contexts of sexual violence
A wide range of sexually violent acts can take
place in different circumstances and settings. These
include, for example:
rape within marriage or dating relationships;
rape by strangers;
systematic rape during armed conflict;
unwanted sexual advances or sexual harassment, including demanding sex in return for
favours;
sexual abuse of mentally or physically
disabled people;
sexual abuse of children;
forced marriage or cohabitation, including
the marriage of children;
denial of the right to use contraception or to
adopt other measures to protect against
sexually transmitted diseases;
forced abortion;
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WORLD REPORT ON VIOLENCE AND HEALTH
violent acts against the sexual integrity of

women, including female genital mutilation
and obligatory inspections for virginity;
forced prostitution and trafficking of people
for the purpose of sexual exploitation.
There is no universally accepted definition of
trafficking for sexual exploitation. The term
encompasses the organized movement of people,
usually women, between countries and within
countries for sex work. Such trafficking also
includes coercing a migrant into a sexual act as a
condition of allowing or arranging the migration.
Sexual trafficking uses physical coercion, deception and bondage incurred through forced debt.
Trafficked women and children, for instance, are
often promised work in the domestic or service
industry, but instead are usually taken to brothels
where their passports and other identification
papers are confiscated. They may be beaten or
locked up and promised their freedom only after
earning through prostitution their purchase
price, as well as their travel and visa costs (3033).
larger section may be elucidated through survey

research and the work of nongovernmental organizations. But beneath the surface remains a substantial
although unquantified component of the problem.
In general, sexual violence has been a neglected
area of research. The available data are scanty and
fragmented. Police data, for instance, are often
incomplete and limited. Many women do not report
sexual violence to police because they are ashamed,
or fear being blamed, not believed or otherwise
mistreated. Data from medico-legal clinics, on the
other hand, may be biased towards the more violent
incidents of sexual abuse. The proportion of women
who seek medical services for immediate problems
related to sexual violence is also relatively small.
Although there have been considerable advances
over the past decade in measuring the phenomenon
through survey research, the definitions used have
varied considerably across studies. There are also
significant differences across cultures in the willingness to disclose sexual violence to researchers.
Caution is therefore needed when making global
comparisons of the prevalence of sexual violence.
The extent of the problem

Sources of data
Data on sexual violence typically come from police,
clinical settings, nongovernmental organizations and
survey research. The relationship between these
sources and the global magnitude of the problem of
sexual violence may be viewed as corresponding to an
iceberg floating in water (34) (see Figure 6.1). The
small visible tip represents cases reported to police. A
FIGURE 6.1
Magnitude of the problem of sexual violence
Estimates of sexual violence

Surveys of victims of crime have been undertaken in
many cities and countries, using a common
methodology to aid comparability, and have
generally included questions on sexual violence.
Table 6.1 summarizes data from some of these
surveys on the prevalence of sexual assault over the
preceding 5 years (35, 36). According to these
TABLE 6.1
Percentage of women aged 16 years and older who report having been
sexually assaulted in the previous 5 years, selected cities, 1992--1997
Country
Study
population
Year
Sample
size
Percentage of women
(aged 16 years and older)
sexually assaulted in the
previous 5 years
(%)
Africa
Botswana
Egypt
South Africa
Tunisia
Uganda
Zimbabwe
Gaborone
Cairo
Johannesburg
Grand-Tunis
Kampala
Harare
1997
1992
1996
1993
1996
1996
644
1000
1006
1087
1197
1006
0.8
3.1
2.3
1.9
4.5
2.2
Latin America
Argentina
Bolivia
Brazil
Colombia
Costa Rica
Paraguay
Buenos Aires
La Paz
Rio de Janiero
Bogota
San Jose
Asuncion
1996
1996
1996
1997
1996
1996
1000
999
1000
1000
1000
587
5.8
1.4
8.0
5.0
4.3
2.7
Asia
China
India
Indonesia
Philippines
Beijing
Bombay
Jakarta and Surabaya
Manila
1994
1996
1996
1996
2000
1200
1400
1500
1.6
1.9
2.7
0.3
Tirana
Budapest
iauliai,
Kaunas, Klaipeda,
Panevezys,
Vilnius
Ulaanbaatar,
Zuunmod
1996
1996
1997
1200
756
1000
6.0
2.0
4.8
1996
1201
3.1
Eastern Europe
Albania
Hungary
Lithuania
Mongolia
Source: references 35 and 36.
studies, the percentage of women reporting having

been a victim of sexual assault ranges from less than
2% in places such as La Paz, Bolivia (1.4%),
Gaborone, Botswana (0.8%), Beijing, China
(1.6%), and Manila, Philippines (0.3%), to 5% or
more in Tirana, Albania (6.0%), Buenos Aires,
Argentina (5.8%), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (8.0%),
and Bogota, Colombia (5.0%). It is important to
note that no distinction has been made in these
figures between rape by strangers and that by
intimate partners. Surveys that fail to make this
distinction or those that only examine rape by
strangers usually underestimate substantially the
prevalence of sexual violence (34).
Apart from crime surveys, there have been a
small number of surveys, with representative
samples, that have asked women about sexual
151
violence. For instance, in a

national survey conducted in
the United States of America,
14.8% of women over 17 years
of age reported having been
raped in their lifetime (with an
additional 2.8% having experienced attempted rape) and 0.3%
of the sample reported having
been raped in the previous year
(37). A survey of a representative sample of women aged 18
49 years in three provinces of
South Africa found that in the
previous year 1.3% of women
had been forced, physically or
by means of verbal threats, to
have non-consensual sex (34).
In a survey of a representative
sample of the general population
over 15 years of age in the Czech
Republic (38), 11.6% of women
reported forced sexual contact in
their lifetime, 3.4% reporting
that this had occurred more than
once. The most common form of
contact was forced vaginal intercourse.
Sexual violence by intimate partners
In many countries a substantial proportion of

women experiencing physical violence also experience sexual abuse. In Mexico and the United States,
studies estimate that 4052% of women experiencing physical violence by an intimate partner have
also been sexually coerced by that partner (39, 40).
Sometimes, sexual violence occurs without physical
violence (1). In the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, in
a representative sample of over 6000 men, 7%
reported having sexually and physically abused
their wives, 22% reported using sexual violence
without physical violence and 17% reported that
they had used physical violence alone (41).
Table 6.2 summarizes some of the available data
on the prevalence of sexual coercion by intimate
partners (13, 37, 4253). Findings from these
152
TABLE 6.2
Percentage of adult women reporting sexual victimization by an intimate partner, selected population-based surveys,
1989--2000
Country
Brazila
Canada
Chile
Finland
Japana
Indonesia
Mexico
Nicaragua
Perua
Puerto Rico
Sweden
Switzerland
Thailanda
Turkey
United Kingdom
United States
West Bank and
Gaza Strip
Zimbabwe
Study
population
Year
Sao Paulo
Pernambuco
National
Toronto
Santiago
National
Yokohama
Central Java
Durango
Guadalajara
Leon
Managua
Lima
Cusco
National
Teg, Umea
National
Bangkok
Nakornsawan
East and south-east
Anatolia
England, Scotland
and Wales
North London,
England
National
Palestinians
2000
2000
1993
1991--1992
1997
1997--1998
2000
1999--2000
1996
1996
1993
1997
2000
2000
1993--1996
1991
1994--1995
2000
2000
1998
Midlands Province
1996
Sample
size
941a
1 188a
12 300
420
310
7 051
1 287a
765
384
650
360
378
1 086a
1 534a
7 079
251
1 500
1 051a
1 027a
599
Percentage
assaulted in
past 12 months
Attempted
or completed
forced sex
(%)
2.8
5.6
Percentage
ever assaulted
Attempted
or completed
forced sex
(%)
10.1
14.3
8.0
15.3b
9.1
2.5
1.3
13.0
5.9
6.2
15.0
42.0
23.0
21.7
17.7
7.1
22.9
22.0
22.5
46.7
5.7b
17.1
15.6
7.5
11.6
29.9
28.9
51.9b
14.2d
1989
1 007
1993
430
6.0b
23.0b
8 000
2 410
0.2b
27.0
7.7b
1995--1996
1995
Completed
forced
sex
(%)
966
25.0
Sources: references 1--3, 37, 42--53.

a
Preliminary results from the WHO multi-country study on womens health and domestic violence. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2000
(unpublished). Sample size reported is the denominator for the prevalence rate and not the total sample size of the study.
b
Sample group included women who had never been in a relationship and therefore were not at risk of being assaulted by an intimate partner.
c
Offenders reported to be husbands, boyfriends and acquaintances.
d
Weighted estimate; unweighted prevalence rate was 13.9%.
studies show that sexual assault by an intimate partner

is neither rare nor unique to any particular region of
the world. For instance, 23% of women in North
London, England, reported having been the victim of
either an attempted or completed rape by a partner in
their lifetime. Similar figures have been reported for
Guadalajara, Mexico (23.0%), Leon, Nicaragua
(21.7%), Lima, Peru (22.5%), and for the Midlands
Province in Zimbabwe (25.0%). The prevalence of
women sexually assaulted by an intimate partner in
their lifetime (including attempted assaults) has also

been estimated in a few national surveys (for
example, Canada 8.0%, England, Wales and Scotland
(combined) 14.2%, Finland 5.9%, Switzerland
11.6% and the United States 7.7%).
Forced sexual initiation
A growing number of studies, particularly from

sub-Saharan Africa, indicate that the first sexual
experience of girls is often unwanted and forced. In a
casecontrol study, for example, of 191 adolescent

girls (mean age 16.3 years) attending an antenatal
clinic in Cape Town, South Africa, and 353 nonpregnant adolescents matched for age and neighbourhood or school, 31.9% of the study cases and
18.1% of the controls reported that force was used
during their sexual initiation. When asked about the
consequences of refusing sex, 77.9% of the study
cases and 72.1% of the controls said that they feared
being beaten if they refused to have sex (4).
Forced sexual initiation and coercion during
adolescence have been reported in many studies of
young women and men (see Table 6.3 and
Box 6.1). Where studies have included both men
and women in the sample, the prevalence of
reported rape or sexual coercion has been higher
among the women than the men (5, 6, 5460). For
example, nearly half of the sexually active adolescent women in a multi-country study in the
Caribbean reported that their first sexual intercourse was forced, compared with one-third of the
adolescent men (60). In Lima, Peru, the percentage
of young women reporting forced sexual initiation
was almost four times that reported by the young
men (40% against 11%, respectively) (56).
Gang rape
Rape involving at least two or more perpetrators is

widely reported to occur in many parts of the
153
world. Systematic information on the extent of the

problem, however, is scant. In Johannesburg,
South Africa, surveillance studies of women
attending medico-legal clinics following a rape
found that one-third of the cases had been gang
rapes (61). National data on rape and sexual assault
in the United States reveal that about 1 out of 10
sexual assaults involve multiple perpetrators. Most
of these assaults are committed by people unknown
to their victims (62). This pattern, though, differs
from that in South Africa where boyfriends are
often involved in gang rapes.
Sexual trafficking
Each year hundreds of thousands of women and

girls throughout the world are bought and sold into
prostitution or sexual slavery (3032, 63, 64).
Research in Kyrgyzstan has estimated that around
4000 people were trafficked from the country in
1999, with the principal destinations being China,
Germany, Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation,
Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. Of those
trafficked, 62% reported being forced to work
without pay, while over 50% reported being
physically abused or tortured by their employers
(31). A World Organization against Torture
(OMCT) report suggested that more than 200 000
Bangladeshi women had been trafficked between
1990 and 1997 (65). Some 50007000 Nepali
TABLE 6.3
Percentage of adolescents reporting forced sexual initiation, selected population-based surveys, 1993--1999
Country or area
Study population
Year
Cameroon
Caribbean
Ghana
Mozambique
New Zealand
Peru
South Africa
United Republic
of Tanzania
United States
Bamenda
Nine countriesb
Three urban towns
Maputo
Dunedin
Lima
Transkei
Mwanza
1995
1997--1998
1996
1999
1993--1994
1995
1994--1995
1996
National
1995
Sample
Percentage reporting first sexual

intercourse as forced (%)
Sizea
646
15 695
750
1 659
935
611
1 975
892
Age group (years)

12--25
10--18
12--24
13--18
Birth cohortd
16--17
15--18
12--19
Females
37.3
47.6c
21.0
18.8
7.0
40.0
28.4
29.1
Males
29.9
31.9c
5.0
6.7
0.2
11.0
6.4
6.9
2 042
15--24
9.1
---
Source: references 5, 6 and 54--60.

a
Total number of adolescents in the study. Rates are based on those who have had sexual intercourse.
b
Antigua, Bahamas, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica and Saint Lucia.
c
Percentage of adolescents responding that their first intercourse was forced or somewhat forced.
d
Longitudinal study of a cohort born in 1972--1973. Subjects were questioned at 18 years of age and again at 21 years of age about their
current and previous sexual behaviour.
154
BOX 6.1
Sexual violence against men and boys

Sexual violence against men and boys is a significant problem. With the exception of childhood
sexual abuse, though, it is one that has largely been neglected in research. Rape and other forms
of sexual coercion directed against men and boys take place in a variety of settings, including in
the home, the workplace, schools, on the streets, in the military and during war, as well as in
prisons and police custody.
In prisons, forced sex can occur among inmates to establish hierarchies of respect and discipline.
Sexual violence by prison officials, police and soldiers is also widely reported in many countries.
Such violence may take the form of prisoners being forced to have sex with others as a form of
entertainment, or to provide sex for the officers or officials in command. Elsewhere, men who
have sex with other men may be punished, by rape, for their behaviour which is perceived to
transgress social norms.
The extent of the problem

Studies conducted mostly in developed countries indicate that 5--10% of men report a history of
childhood sexual abuse. In a few population-based studies conducted with adolescents in
developing countries, the percentage of males reporting ever having been the victim of a sexual
assault ranges from 3.6% in Namibia and 13.4% in the United Republic of Tanzania to 20% in Peru.
Studies from both industrialized and developing countries also reveal that forced first intercourse
is not rare. Unfortunately, there are few reliable statistics on the number of boys and men raped in
settings such as schools, prisons and refugee camps.
Most experts believe that official statistics vastly under-represent the number of male rape
victims. The evidence available suggests that males may be even less likely than female victims to
report an assault to the authorities. There are a variety of reasons why male rape is underreported, including shame, guilt and fear of not being believed or of being denounced for what
has occurred. Myths and strong prejudices surrounding male sexuality also prevent men from
coming forward.
Consequences of sexual violence

As is the case with female victims of sexual assault, research suggests that male victims are likely to
suffer from a range of psychological consequences, both in the immediate period after the assault
and over the longer term. These include guilt, anger, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress
disorder, sexual dysfunction, somatic complaints, sleep disturbances, withdrawal from relationships and attempted suicide. In addition to these reactions, studies of adolescent males have also
found an association between suffering rape and substance abuse, violent behaviour, stealing and
absenteeism from school.
Prevention and policy responses

Prevention and policy responses to sexual violence against men need to be based on an
understanding of the problem, its causes and the circumstances in which it occurs. In many
countries the phenomenon is not adequately addressed in legislation. In addition, male rape is
frequently not treated as an equal offence with rape of women.
Many of the considerations relating to support for women who have been raped --- including an
understanding of the healing process, the most urgent needs following an assault and the
effectiveness of support services --- are also relevant for men. Some countries have progressed in
their response to male sexual assault, providing special telephone hotlines, counselling, support
155
BOX 6.1 (continued)

groups and other services for male victims. In many places, though, such services are either not
available or else are very limited --- for instance, focusing primarily on women, with few, if any,
counsellors on hand who are experienced in discussing problems with male victims.
In most countries, there is much to be done before the issue of sexual violence against men and
boys can be properly acknowledged and discussed, free of denial or shame. Such a necessary
development, though, will enable more comprehensive prevention measures and better support
for the victims to be implemented.
women and girls are illegally traded to India each

year and trafficking of Thai women to Japan has also
been reported (32). Trafficking of women also
takes place internally within some countries, often
from rural areas to cities.
North America is also an important destination
for international trafficking. A study undertaken
under the auspices of the United States Central
Intelligence Agency, estimated that 45 00050 000
women and children are trafficked annually to the
United States (63). Over 150 cases of trafficking
were prosecuted between 1996 and 1999 by the
United States Department of Justice (63). The
problem also exists in Europe. A study conducted
by the International Organization for Migration
estimated that 1015% of 2000 known foreign
prostitutes in Belgium had been forcibly sold from
abroad (30). In Italy, a study of some 19 000
25 000 foreign prostitutes estimated that 2000 of
them had been trafficked (66). Most of these women
were under 25 years of age, many of them between
15 and 18 years (30, 66). Their origin was mainly
central and eastern Europe, particularly Albania, as
well as Colombia, Nigeria and Peru (66).
Sexual violence against sex workers
Whether trafficked or not, sex workers are at high

risk for both physical and sexual violence, particularly where sex work is illegal (67). A survey of
female sex workers in Leeds, England, and Glasgow
and Edinburgh, Scotland, revealed that 30% had
been slapped, punched or kicked by a client while
working, 13% had been beaten, 11% had been
raped and 22% had experienced an attempted rape
(68). Only 34% of those who had suffered violence
at the hands of a client reported it to police. A survey
of sex workers in Bangladesh revealed that 49% of

the women had been raped and 59% beaten by
police in the previous year; the men reported much
lower levels of violence (69). In Ethiopia, a study of
sex workers also found high rates of physical and
sexual violence from clients, especially against the
child sex workers (70).
Sexual violence in schools, health care settings, armed conflicts and refugee settings
Schools
For many young women, the most common place

where sexual coercion and harassment are experienced is in school. In an extreme case of violence in
1991, 71 teenage girls were raped by their
classmates and 19 others were killed at a boarding
school in Meru, Kenya (71). While much of the
research in this field comes from Africa, it is not
clear whether this reflects a particularly high
prevalence of the problem or simply the fact that
the problem has had a greater visibility there than in
other parts of the world.
Harassment of girls by boys is in all likelihood a
global problem. In Canada, for example, 23% of
girls had experienced sexual harassment while
attending school (72). The research done in Africa,
however, has highlighted the role of teachers there
in facilitating or perpetrating sexual coercion. A
report by Africa Rights (28) found cases of schoolteachers attempting to gain sex, in return for good
grades or for not failing pupils, in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Nigeria, Somalia,
South Africa, Sudan, Zambia and Zimbabwe. A
recent national survey in South Africa that included
questions about experience of rape before the
age of 15 years found that schoolteachers were
156
responsible for 32% of disclosed child rapes (34).

In Zimbabwe, a retrospective study of reported
cases of child sexual abuse over an 8-year period
(19901997) found high rates of sexual abuse
committed by teachers in rural primary schools.
Many of the victims were girls between 11 and 13
years of age and penetrative sex was the most
prevalent type of sexual abuse (73).
Health care settings
Sexual violence against patients in health facilities

has been reported in many places (7479). A study
of physicians disciplined for sexual offences in the
United States, for instance, found that the number
of cases had increased from 42 in 1989 to 147 in
1996, with the proportion of all disciplinary action
that was sex-related rising from 2.1% to 4.4% over
the same period (76). This increase, though, could
reflect a greater readiness to lodge complaints.
Other documented forms of sexual violence
against female patients include the involvement of
medical staff in the practice of clitoridectomy in
Egypt (80), forced gynaecological examinations and
the threat of forced abortions in China (81), and
inspections of virginity in Turkey (82). Sexual
violence is part of the broader problem of violence
against women patients perpetrated by health workers that has been reported in a large number of
countries and until recently has been much neglected
(8387). Sexual harassment of female nurses by male
doctors has also been reported (88, 89).
Armed conflicts and refugee settings
Rape has been used as a strategy in many conflicts,

including in Korea during the Second World War
and in Bangladesh during the war of independence, as well as in a range of armed conflicts such
as those in Algeria (90), India (Kashmir) (91),
Indonesia (92), Liberia (29), Rwanda and Uganda
(93). In some armed conflicts for example, the
ones in Rwanda and the states of the former
Yugoslavia rape has been used as a deliberate
strategy to subvert community bonds and thus the
perceived enemy, and furthermore as a tool of
ethnic cleansing. In East Timor, there were
reports of extensive sexual violence against women

by the Indonesian military (94).
A study in Monrovia, Liberia, found that women
under 25 years were more likely than those aged
25 years and over to report experiencing attempted
rape and sexual coercion during the conflict (18%
compared with 4%) (29). Women who were
forced to cook for a warring faction were at
significantly higher risk.
Another inevitable consequence of armed conflicts is the ensuing economic and social disruption
which can force large numbers of people into
prostitution (94), an observation that applies
equally to the situation of refugees, whether they
are fleeing armed conflicts or natural disasters such
as floods, earthquakes or powerful storms.
Refugees fleeing conflicts and other threatening
conditions are often at risk of rape in their new
setting. Data from the Office of the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees, for instance,
indicated that among the boat people who fled
Viet Nam in the late 1970s and early 1980s, 39% of
the women were abducted or raped by pirates while
at sea a figure that is likely to be an underestimate
(27). In many refugee camps as well, including
those in Kenya and the United Republic of Tanzania,
rape has been found to be a major problem (95, 96).
Customary forms of sexual violence
Child marriage
Marriage is often used to legitimize a range of
forms of sexual violence against women. The
custom of marrying off young children, particularly girls, is found in many parts of the world.
This practice legal in many countries is a form
of sexual violence, since the children involved are
unable to give or withhold their consent. The
majority of them know little or nothing about sex
before they are married. They therefore frequently
fear it (97) and their first sexual encounters are
often forced (98).
Early marriage is most common in Africa and
South Asia, though it also occurs in the Middle East
and parts of Latin America and Eastern Europe (99,
100). In Ethiopia and parts of West Africa, for
instance, marriage at the age of 7 or 8 years is not
uncommon. In Nigeria, the mean age at first

marriage is 17 years, but in the Kebbi State of
northern Nigeria, the average age at first marriage
is just over 11 years (100). High rates of child
marriage have also been reported in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo, Mali, Niger and Uganda
(99, 100).
In South Asia, child marriage is especially
common in rural areas, but exists also in urban
areas (100102). In Nepal, the average age at first
marriage is 19 years. Seven per cent of girls,
though, are married before the age of 10 years, and
40% by the age of 15 years (100). In India, the
median age at first marriage for women is 16.4
years. A survey of 5000 women in the Indian state
of Rajasthan found that 56% of the women had
married before the age of 15 years, and of these,
17% were married before they were 10 years old.
Another survey, conducted in the state of Madhya
Pradesh, found that 14% of girls were married
between the ages of 10 and 14 years (100).
Elsewhere, in Latin America for instance, early
age at first marriage has been reported in Cuba,
Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and Paraguay (99,
100). In North America and Western Europe, less
than 5% of marriages involve girls younger than
19 years of age (for example, 1% in Canada,
Switzerland and the United Kingdom, 2% in
Belgium and Germany, 3% in Spain, and 4% in
the United States) (103).
Other customs leading to violence
In many places, there are customs other than

child marriage that result in sexual violence
towards women. In Zimbabwe, for instance,
there is the custom of ngozi, whereby a girl can
be given to a family as compensation for a death
of a man caused by a member of the girls
family. On reaching puberty the girl is expected
to have sexual intercourse with the brother or
father of the deceased person, so as to produce a
son to replace the one who died. Another custom
is chimutsa mapfiwa wife inheritance
according to which, when a married woman
dies, her sister is obliged to replace her in the
matrimonial home.
157
What are the risk factors for sexual

violence?
Explaining sexual violence against women is
complicated by the multiple forms it takes and
contexts in which it occurs. There is considerable
overlap between forms of sexual violence and
intimate partner violence; many of the causes are
similar to those already discussed in Chapter 4.
There are factors increasing the risk of someone
being coerced into sex, factors increasing the risk of
an individual man forcing sex on another person,
and factors within the social environment
including peers and family influencing the
likelihood of rape and the reaction to it. Research
suggests that the various factors have an additive
effect, so that the more factors present, the greater
the likelihood of sexual violence. In addition, a
particular factor may vary in importance according
to the life stage.
Factors increasing womens vulnerability
One of the most common forms of sexual violence
around the world is that which is perpetrated by an
intimate partner, leading to the conclusion that one
of the most important risk factors for women in
terms of their vulnerability to sexual assault is being
married or cohabiting with a partner. Other factors
influencing the risk of sexual violence include:
being young;
consuming alcohol or drugs;
having previously been raped or sexually
abused;
having many sexual partners;
involvement in sex work;
becoming more educated and economically
empowered, at least where sexual violence
perpetrated by an intimate partner is concerned;
poverty.
Age
Young women are usually found to be more at risk

of rape than older women ( 24, 62, 104).
According to data from justice systems and rape
crisis centres in Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, Papua
New Guinea, Peru and the United States, between
158
one-third and two-thirds of all victims of sexual

assault are aged 15 years or less (62, 104). Certain
forms of sexual violence, for instance, are very
closely associated with a young age, in particular
violence taking place in schools and colleges, and
trafficking in women for sexual exploitation.
Alcohol and drug consumption
Increased vulnerability to sexual violence also stems

from the use of alcohol and other drugs. Consuming
alcohol or drugs makes it more difficult for women
to protect themselves by interpreting and effectively
acting on warning signs. Drinking alcohol may also
place women in settings where their chances of
encountering a potential offender are greater (105).
Having previously been raped or sexually
abused
There is some evidence linking experiences of

sexual abuse in childhood or adolescence with
patterns of victimization during adulthood (24, 37,
105108). A national study of violence against
women in the United States found that women who
were raped before the age of 18 years were twice as
likely to be raped as adults, compared with those
who were not raped as children or adolescents
(18.3% and 8.7%, respectively) (37). The effects of
early sexual abuse may also extend to other forms of
victimization and problems in adulthood. For
instance, a casecontrol study in Australia on the
long-term impact of abuse reported significant
associations between child sexual abuse and
experiencing rape, sexual and mental health
problems, domestic violence and other problems
in intimate relationships even after accounting for
various family background characteristics (108).
Those who had experienced abuse involving
intercourse had more negative outcomes than those
suffering other types of coercion.
Having many sexual partners
Young women who have many sexual partners are

at increased risk of sexual violence (105, 107,
109). It is not clear, though, if having more sexual
partners is a cause or consequence of abuse,
including childhood sexual abuse. For example,
findings from a representative sample of men and

women in Leon, Nicaragua, found that women
who had experienced attempted or completed rape
during childhood or adolescence were more likely
to have a higher number of sexual partners in
adulthood, compared with non-abused or moderately abused women (110). Similar findings have
been reported in longitudinal studies of young
women in New Zealand and Norway (107, 109).
Educational level
Women are at increased risk of sexual violence, as

they are of physical violence by an intimate partner,
when they become more educated and thus more
empowered. Women with no education were found
in a national survey in South Africa to be much less
likely to experience sexual violence than those with
higher levels of education (34). In Zimbabwe,
women who were working were much more likely
to report forced sex by a spouse than those who were
not (42). The likely explanation is that greater
empowerment brings with it more resistance from
women to patriarchal norms (111), so that men may
resort to violence in an attempt to regain control.
The relationship between empowerment and
physical violence is an inverted U-shape with
greater empowerment conferring greater risk up to a
certain level, beyond which it starts to become
protective (105, 112). It is not known, though,
whether this is also the case for sexual violence.
Poverty
Poor women and girls may be more at risk of rape

in the course of their daily tasks than those who are
better off, for example when they walk home on
their own from work late at night, or work in the
fields or collect firewood alone. Children of poor
women may have less parental supervision when
not in school, since their mothers may be at work
and unable to afford child care. The children
themselves may, in fact, be working and thus
vulnerable to sexual exploitation.
Poverty forces many women and girls into
occupations that carry a relatively high risk of
sexual violence (113), particularly sex work (114).
It also creates enormous pressures for them to find
159
TABLE 6.4
Factors increasing mens risk of committing rape

Individual factors
.
.
.
.
.
Alcohol and drug use

Coercive sexual fantasies and
other attitudes and beliefs
supportive of sexual violence
Impulsive and antisocial
tendencies
Preference for impersonal sex
Hostility towards women
History of sexual abuse as a
child
Witnessed family violence as
a child
Relationship factors
.
Associate with sexually

aggressive and delinquent
peers
Family environment
characterized by physical
violence and few resources
Strongly patriarchal
relationship or family
environment
Emotionally unsupportive
family environment
Family honour considered
more important than the
health and safety of the
victim
or maintain jobs, to pursue trading activities and, if

studying, to obtain good grades all of which
render them vulnerable to sexual coercion from
those who can promise these things (28). Poorer
women are also more at risk of intimate partner
violence, of which sexual violence is often a
manifestation (41, 115).
Factors increasing mens risk of committing
rape
Data on sexually violent men are somewhat limited

and heavily biased towards apprehended rapists,
except in the United States, where research has also
been conducted on male college students. Despite
the limited amount of information on sexually
violent men, it appears that sexual violence is found
in almost all countries (though with differences in
prevalence), in all socioeconomic classes and in all
age groups from childhood onwards. Data on
sexually violent men also show that most direct
their acts at women whom they already know (116,
117). Among the factors increasing the risk of a man
committing rape are those related to attitudes and
beliefs, as well as behaviour arising from situations
and social conditions that provide opportunities and
support for abuse (see Table 6.4).
Alcohol and drug consumption
Alcohol has been shown to play a disinhibiting role in

certain types of sexual assault (118), as have some
Community factors
.
Poverty, mediated through

forms of crisis of male identity
Lack of employment
opportunities
Lack of institutional support
from police and judicial
system
General tolerance of sexual
assault within the community
Weak community sanctions
against perpetrators of sexual
violence
Societal factors
.
Societal norms supportive of

sexual violence
Societal norms supportive of
male superiority and sexual
entitlement
Weak laws and policies
related to sexual violence
Weak laws and policies
related to gender equality
High levels of crime and
other forms of violence
drugs, notably cocaine ( 119). Alcohol has a

psychopharmacological effect of reducing inhibitions, clouding judgements and impairing the ability
to interpret cues (120). The biological links between
alcohol and violence are, however, complex (118).
Research on the social anthropology of alcohol
consumption suggests that connections between
violence, drinking and drunkenness are socially
learnt rather than universal (121). Some researchers
have noted that alcohol may act as a cultural break
time, providing the opportunity for antisocial
behaviour. Thus men are more likely to act violently
when drunk because they do not consider that they
will be held accountable for their behaviour. Some
forms of group sexual violence are also associated
with drinking. In these settings, consuming alcohol is
an act of group bonding, where inhibitions are
collectively reduced and individual judgement ceded
in favour of that of the group.
Psychological factors
There has been considerable research in recent times

on the role of cognitive variables among the set of
factors that can lead to rape. Sexually violent men
have been shown to be more likely to consider
victims responsible for the rape and are less
knowledgeable about the impact of rape on victims
(122). Such men may misread cues given out by
women in social situations and may lack the
inhibitions that act to suppress associations between
160
sex and aggression (122, 123). They have coercive

sexual fantasies (122, 123), generally encouraged
by access to pornography (124), and overall are
more hostile towards women than men who are not
sexually violent (106, 125, 126). In addition to
these factors, sexually violent men are believed to
differ from other men in terms of impulsivity and
antisocial tendencies (105). They also tend to have
an exaggerated sense of masculinity.
Sexual violence is also associated with a
preference for impersonal sexual relationships as
opposed to emotional bonding, with having many
sexual partners and with the inclination to assert
personal interests at the expense of others (125,
127). A further association is with adversarial
attitudes on gender, that hold that women are
opponents to be challenged and conquered (128).
Peer and family factors
Gang rape
Some forms of sexual violence, such as gang rape,
are predominantly committed by young men
(129). Sexual aggression is often a defining
characteristic of manhood in the group and is
significantly related to the wish to be held in high
esteem (130). Sexually aggressive behaviour among
young men has been linked with gang membership
and having delinquent peers (126, 131). Research
also suggests that men with sexually aggressive
peers are also much more likely to report coercive or
enforced intercourse outside the gang context than
men lacking sexually aggressive peers (132).
Gang rape is often viewed by the men involved,
and sometimes by others too, as legitimate, in that it
is seen to discourage or punish perceived immoral behaviour among woman such as
wearing short skirts or frequenting bars. For this
reason, it may not be equated by the perpetrators
with the idea of a crime. In several areas in Papua
New Guinea, women can be punished by public
gang rape, often sanctioned by elders (133).
Early childhood environments
There is evidence to suggest that sexual violence is

also a learnt behaviour in some men, particularly as
regards child sexual abuse. Studies on sexually
abused boys have shown that around one in five

continue in later life to molest children themselves
(134). Such experiences may lead to a pattern of
behaviour where the man regularly justifies being
violent, denies doing wrong, and has false and
unhealthy notions about sexuality.
Childhood environments that are physically
violent, emotionally unsupportive and characterized by competition for scarce resources have been
associated with sexual violence (105, 126, 131,
135). Sexually aggressive behaviour in young men,
for instance, has been linked to witnessing family
violence, and having emotionally distant and
uncaring fathers (126, 131). Men raised in families
with strongly patriarchal structures are also more
likely to become violent, to rape and use sexual
coercion against women, as well as to abuse their
intimate partners, than men raised in homes that are
more egalitarian (105).
Family honour and sexual purity
Another factor involving social relationships is a

family response to sexual violence that blames
women without punishing men, concentrating
instead on restoring lost family honour. Such a
response creates an environment in which rape can
occur with impunity.
While families will often try to protect their
women from rape and may also put their daughters
on contraception to prevent visible signs should it
occur (136), there is rarely much social pressure to
control young men or persuade them that coercing
sex is wrong. Instead, in some countries, there is
frequently support for family members to do
whatever is necessary including murder to
alleviate the shame associated with a rape or
other sexual transgression. In a review of all crimes
of honour occurring in Jordan in 1995 (137),
researchers found that in over 60% of the cases, the
victim died from multiple gunshot wounds
mostly at the hands of a brother. In cases where the
victim was a single pregnant female, the offender
was either acquitted of murder or received a
reduced sentence.
Even though poverty is often the driving force
behind child marriage, factors such as maintaining
the sexual purity of a young girl and protecting her

from premarital sex, HIV infection and unwelcome
sexual advances are also reasons commonly given
by families to justify such marriages (100).
Community factors
Poverty
Poverty is linked to both the perpetration of sexual
violence and the risk of being a victim of it. Several
authors have argued that the relationship between
poverty and perpetration of sexual violence is
mediated through forms of crisis of masculine
identity (95, 112, 138140). Bourgois, writing
about life in East Harlem, New York, United States
(138), described how young men felt pressured by
models of successful masculinity and family
structure passed down from their parents and
grandparents generations, together with modernday ideals of manhood that also place an emphasis
on material consumption. Trapped in their slums,
with little or no available employment, they are
unlikely to attain either of these models or
expectations of masculine success. In these
circumstances, ideals of masculinity are reshaped
to emphasize misogyny, substance abuse and
participation in crime (138) and often also
xenophobia and racism. Gang rape and sexual
conquest are normalized, as men turn their
aggression against women they can no longer
control patriarchally or support economically.
Physical and social environment
While fear of rape is typically associated with being

outside the home (141, 142), the great majority of
sexual violence actually occurs in the home of the
victim or the abuser. Nonetheless, abduction by a
stranger is quite often the prelude to a rape and the
opportunities for such an abduction are influenced
by the physical environment.
The social environment within a community is,
however, usually more important than the physical
surrounding. How deeply entrenched in a community beliefs in male superiority and male
entitlement to sex are will greatly affect the
likelihood of sexual violence taking place, as will
the general tolerance in the community of sexual
161
assault and the strength of sanctions, if any, against

perpetrators (116, 143). For instance, in some
places, rape can even occur in public, with passersby refusing to intervene (133). Complaints of rape
may also be treated leniently by the police,
particularly if the assault is committed during a
date or by the victims husband. Where police
investigations and court cases do proceed, the
procedures may well be either extremely lax or else
corrupt for instance, with legal papers being
lost in return for a bribe.
Societal factors
Factors operating at a societal level that influence

sexual violence include laws and national policies
relating to gender equality in general and to sexual
violence more specifically, as well as norms relating
to the use of violence. While the various factors
operate largely at local level, within families,
schools, workplaces and communities, there are
also influences from the laws and norms working at
national and even international level.
Laws and policies
There are considerable variations between countries in their approach to sexual violence. Some
countries have far-reaching legislation and legal
procedures, with a broad definition of rape that
includes marital rape, and with heavy penalties for
those convicted and a strong response in supporting victims. Commitment to preventing or controlling sexual violence is also reflected in an
emphasis on police training and an appropriate
allocation of police resources to the problem, in the
priority given to investigating cases of sexual
assault, and in the resources made available to
support victims and provide medico-legal services.
At the other end of the scale, there are countries
with much weaker approaches to the issue where
conviction of an alleged perpetrator on the evidence
of the women alone is not allowed, where certain
forms or settings of sexual violence are specifically
excluded from the legal definition, and where rape
victims are strongly deterred from bringing the
matter to court through the fear of being punished
for filing an unproven rape suit.
162
Social norms
Sexual violence committed by men is to a large

extent rooted in ideologies of male sexual
entitlement. These belief systems grant women
extremely few legitimate options to refuse sexual
advances (139, 144, 145). Many men thus
simply exclude the possibility that their sexual
advances towards a woman might be rejected or
that a woman has the right to make an
autonomous decision about participating in sex.
In many cultures women, as well as men, regard
marriage as entailing the obligation on women to
be sexually available virtually without limit (34,
146), though sex may be culturally proscribed at
certain times, such as after childbirth or during
menstruation (147).
Societal norms around the use of violence as a
means to achieve objectives have been strongly
associated with the prevalence of rape. In societies
where the ideology of male superiority is strong
emphasizing dominance, physical strength and
male honour rape is more common (148).
Countries with a culture of violence, or where
violent conflict is taking place, experience an
increase in almost all forms of violence, including
sexual violence (148151).
Global trends and economic factors
Many of the factors operating at a national level have

an international dimension. Global trends, for
instance towards free trade, have been accompanied
by an increase in the movement around the world of
women and girls for labour, including for sex work
(152). Economic structural adjustment programmes,
drawn up by international agencies, have accentuated
poverty and unemployment in a number of countries, thereby increasing the likelihood of sexual
trafficking and sexual violence (153) something
particularly noted in Central America, the Caribbean
(114) and parts of Africa (113).
The consequences of sexual violence

Physical force is not necessarily used in rape, and
physical injuries are not always a consequence.
Deaths associated with rape are known to occur,
though the prevalence of fatalities varies consider-
ably across the world. Among the more common

consequences of sexual violence are those related
to reproductive, mental health and social wellbeing.
Pregnancy and gynaecological
complications
Pregnancy may result from rape, though the rate

varies between settings and depends particularly on
the extent to which non-barrier contraceptives are
being used. A study of adolescents in Ethiopia
found that among those who reported being raped,
17% became pregnant after the rape (154), a figure
which is similar to the 1518% reported by rape
crisis centres in Mexico (155, 156). A longitudinal
study in the United States of over 4000 women
followed for 3 years found that the national raperelated pregnancy rate was 5.0% per rape among
victims aged 1245 years, producing over 32 000
pregnancies nationally among women from rape
each year (7). In many countries, women who have
been raped are forced to bear the child or else put
their lives at risk with back-street abortions.
Experience of coerced sex at an early age reduces a
womans ability to see her sexuality as something
over which she has control. As a result, it is less likely
that an adolescent girl who has been forced into sex
will use condoms or other forms of contraception,
increasing the likelihood of her becoming pregnant
(4, 16, 157, 158). A study of factors associated with
teenage pregnancy in Cape Town, South Africa,
found that forced sexual initiation was the third
most strongly related factor, after frequency of
intercourse and use of modern contraceptives (4).
Forced sex can also result in unintended pregnancy
among adult women. In India, a study of married
men revealed that men who admitted forcing sex on
their wives were 2.6 times more likely to have
caused an unintended pregnancy than those who
did not admit to such behaviour (41).
Gynaecological complications have been consistently found to be related to forced sex. These
include vaginal bleeding or infection, fibroids,
decreased sexual desire, genital irritation, pain
during intercourse, chronic pelvic pain and urinary
tract infections (815). Women who experience
163
both physical and sexual abuse from intimate

partners are at higher risk of health problems
generally than those experiencing physical violence
alone (8, 14).
health problems and symptoms tend to decrease

over such a period (164). Even with counselling,
up to 50% of women retain symptoms of stress
(165167).
Sexually transmitted diseases
Suicidal behaviour
Women who experience sexual assault in childhood
or adulthood are more likely to attempt or commit
suicide than other women (21, 168173). The
association remains, even after controlling for sex,
age, education, symptoms of post-traumatic stress
disorder and the presence of psychiatric disorders
(168, 174). The experience of being raped or
sexually assaulted can lead to suicidal behaviour as
early as adolescence. In Ethiopia, 6% of raped
schoolgirls reported having attempted suicide
(154). A study of adolescents in Brazil found prior
sexual abuse to be a leading factor predicting several
health risk behaviours, including suicidal thoughts
and attempts (161).
Experiences of severe sexual harassment can also
result in emotional disturbances and suicidal behaviour. A study of female adolescents in Canada found
that 15% of those experiencing frequent, unwanted
sexual contact had exhibited suicidal behaviour in the
previous 6 months, compared with 2% of those who
had not had such harassment (72).
HIV infection and other sexually transmitted

diseases are recognized consequences of rape
(159). Research on women in shelters has shown
that women who experience both sexual and
physical abuse from intimate partners are significantly more likely to have had sexually transmitted
diseases ( 160). For women who have been
trafficked into sex work, the risks of HIV and other
sexually transmitted diseases are likely to be
particularly high. The links between HIV and
sexual violence, and the relevant prevention
strategies, are discussed in Box 6.2.
Mental health
Sexual violence has been associated with a number

of mental health and behavioural problems in
adolescence and adulthood (1720, 22, 23, 161).
In one population-based study, the prevalence of
symptoms or signs suggestive of a psychiatric
disorder was 33% in women with a history of
sexual abuse as adults, 15% in women with a
history of physical violence by an intimate partner
and 6% in non-abused women (162). Sexual
violence by an intimate partner aggravates the
effects of physical violence on mental health.
Abused women reporting experiences of forced
sex are at significantly greater risk of depression
and post-traumatic stress disorder than non-abused
women (14, 18, 22, 23). Post-traumatic stress
disorder after rape is more likely if there is injury
during the rape, or a history of depression or
alcohol abuse (24). A study of adolescents in
France also found a relationship between having
been raped and current sleep difficulties, depressive symptoms, somatic complaints, tobacco consumption and behavioural problems (such as
aggressive behaviour, theft and truancy) (163).
In the absence of trauma counselling, negative
psychological effects have been known to persist
for at least a year following a rape, while physical
Social ostracization
In many cultural settings it is held that men are
unable to control their sexual urges and that
women are responsible for provoking sexual desire
in men (144). How families and communities react
to acts of rape in such settings is governed by
prevailing ideas about sexuality and the status of
women.
In some societies, the cultural solution to
rape is that the woman should marry the rapist,
thereby preserving the integrity of the woman
and her family by legitimizing the union (175).
Such a solution is reflected in the laws of
some countries, which allow a man who
commits rape to be excused his crime if he
marries the victim (100). Apart from marriage,
families may put pressure on the woman not to
report or pursue a case or else to concentrate on
164
BOX 6.2
Sexual violence and HIV/AIDS

Violent or forced sex can increase the risk of transmitting HIV. In forced vaginal penetration,
abrasions and cuts commonly occur, thus facilitating the entry of the virus --- when it is present --through the vaginal mucosa. Adolescent girls are particularly susceptible to HIV infection through
forced sex, and even through unforced sex, because their vaginal mucous membrane has not yet
acquired the cellular density providing an effective barrier that develops in the later teenage
years. Those who suffer anal rape --- boys and men, as well as girls and women --- are also
considerably more susceptible to HIV than would be the case if the sex were not forced, since anal
tissues can be easily damaged, again allowing the virus an easier entry into the body.
Being a victim of sexual violence and being susceptible to HIV share a number of risk behaviours.
Forced sex in childhood or adolescence, for instance, increases the likelihood of engaging in
unprotected sex, having multiple partners, participating in sex work, and substance abuse. People
who experience forced sex in intimate relationships often find it difficult to negotiate condom use
--- either because using a condom could be interpreted as mistrust of their partner or as an admission
of promiscuity, or else because they fear experiencing violence from their partner. Sexual coercion
among adolescents and adults is also associated with low self-esteem and depression --- factors that
are associated with many of the risk behaviours for HIV infection.
Being infected with HIV or having an HIV-positive family member can also increase the risk of
suffering sexual violence, particularly for women. Because of the stigma attached to HIV and AIDS in
many countries, an infected woman may be evicted from her home. In addition, an AIDS-related illness
or death in a poor household may make the economic situation desperate. Women may be forced into
sex work and consequently be at increased risk for both HIV/AIDS and sexual violence. Children
orphaned by AIDS, impoverished and with no one to care for them, may be forced to live on the streets,
at considerable risk of sexual abuse.
Among the various ways of reducing the incidence of both sexual violence and HIV infection,
education is perhaps the foremost. For young people, above all, there must be comprehensive
interventions in schools and other educational institutes, youth groups and workplaces. School
curricula should cover relevant aspects of sexual and reproductive health, relationships and
violence. They should also teach life skills, including how to avoid risky or threatening situations --related to such things as violence, sex or drugs --- and how to negotiate safe sexual behaviour.
For the adult population in general there should be full and accessible information on sexual
health and the consequences of specific sexual practices, as well as interventions to change
harmful patterns of behaviour and social norms that hinder communication on sexual matters.
It is important that health care workers and other service providers receive integrated training
on gender and reproductive health, including gender-based violence and sexually transmitted
diseases such as HIV infection.
For rape victims, there should be screening and referral for HIV infection. Also, the use of
postexposure prophylaxis for HIV --- given soon after the assault, together with counselling --- may
be considered. Similarly, women with HIV should be screened for a possible history of sexual
violence. Voluntary counselling programmes for HIV should consider incorporating violence
prevention strategies.
obtaining financial damages from the rapists

family (42, 176). Men may reject their wives if
they have been raped (27) and in some
countries, as mentioned previously, restoring lost

honour calls for the woman to be cast out or in
extreme cases, murdered (26).
What can be done to prevent sexual

violence?
The number of initiatives addressing sexual
violence is limited and few have been evaluated.
Most interventions have been developed and
implemented in industrialized countries. How
relevant they may be in other settings is not well
known. The interventions that have been developed
can be categorized as follows.
Individual approaches
Psychological care and support
Counselling, therapy and support group initiatives
have been found to be helpful following sexual
assaults, especially where there may be complicating factors related to the violence itself or the
process of recovery. There is some evidence that a
brief cognitive-behavioural programme administered shortly after assault can hasten the rate of
improvement of psychological damage arising
from trauma (177, 178). As already mentioned,
victims of sexual violence sometimes blame
themselves for the incident, and addressing this in
psychological therapy has also been shown to be
important for recovery (179). Short-term counselling and treatment programmes after acts of sexual
violence, though, require considerable further
evaluation.
Formal psychological support for those experiencing sexual violence has been provided largely by
the nongovernmental sector, particularly rape crisis
centres and various womens organizations. Inevitably, the number of victims of sexual violence
with access to these services is small. One solution
to extend access is through establishing telephone
helplines, ideally ones that are free of charge. A
Stop Woman Abuse helpline in South Africa, for
example, answered 150 000 calls in the first 5
months of operation (180).
Programmes for perpetrators
The few programmes targeting perpetrators of

sexual violence have generally been aimed at men
convicted of assault. They are found mainly in
industrialized countries and have only recently
begun to be evaluated (see Chapter 4 for a
165
discussion of such programmes). A common

response of men who commit sexual violence is
to deny both that they are responsible and that
what they are doing is violent (146, 181). To be
effective, programmes working with perpetrators
need to make them admit responsibility and to be
publicly seen as responsible for their actions
(182). One way of achieving this is for programmes that target male perpetrators of sexual
violence to collaborate with support services for
victims as well as with campaigns against sexual
violence.
Life-skills and other educational programmes
In recent years, several programmes for sexual and

reproductive health promotion, particularly those
promoting HIV prevention, have begun to introduce gender issues and to address the problem of
sexual and physical violence against women. Two
notable examples developed for Africa but used in
many parts of the developing world are Stepping
Stones and Men As Partners (183, 184). These
programmes have been designed for use in peer
groups of men and women and are delivered over
several workshop sessions using participatory
learning approaches. Their comprehensive approach helps men, who might otherwise be
reluctant to attend programmes solely concerned
with violence against women, participate and
discuss a range of issues concerning violence.
Furthermore, even if the men are perpetrators of
sexual violence, the programmes are careful to
avoid labelling them as such.
A review of the effect of the Stepping Stones
programme in Africa and Asia found that the
workshops helped the men participating take
greater responsibility for their actions, relate better
to others, have greater respect for women and
communicate more effectively. As a result of the
programme, reductions in violence against women
have been reported in communities in Cambodia,
the Gambia, South Africa, Uganda and the United
Republic of Tanzania. The evaluations to date,
though, have generally used qualitative methods
and further research is needed to adequately test the
effectiveness of this programme (185).
166
Developmental approaches
Research has stressed the importance of encouraging nurturing, with better and more genderbalanced parenting, to prevent sexual violence
(124, 125). At the same time, Schwartz (186) has
developed a prevention model that adopts a
developmental approach, with interventions before
birth, during childhood and in adolescence and
young adulthood. In this model, the prenatal
element would include discussions of parenting
skills, the stereotyping of gender roles, stress,
conflict and violence. In the early years of childhood, health providers would pursue these issues
and introduce child sexual abuse and exposure to
violence in the media to the list of discussion topics,
as well as promoting the use of non-sexist
educational materials. In later childhood, health
promotion would include modelling behaviours
and attitudes that avoid stereotyping, encouraging
children to distinguish between good and bad
touching, and enhancing their ability and confidence to take control over their own bodies. This
intervention would allow room for talking about
sexual aggression. During adolescence and young
adulthood, discussions would cover myths about
rape, how to set boundaries for sexual activity, and
breaking the links between sex, violence and
coercion. While Schwartzs model was designed
for use in industrialized countries, some of the
principles involved could be applicable to developing countries.
Health care responses
Medico-legal services
In many countries, where sexual violence is

reported the health sector has the duty to collect
medical and legal evidence to corroborate the
accounts of the victims or to help in identifying
the perpetrator. Research in Canada suggests that
medico-legal documentation can increase the
chance of a perpetrator being arrested, charged or
convicted (187, 188). For instance, one study found
that documented physical injury, particularly of the
moderate to severe type, was associated with charges
being filed irrespective of the patients income
level or whether the patient knew the assailant,
either as an acquaintance or an intimate partner

(188). However, a study of women attending a
hospital in Nairobi, Kenya, following a rape, has
highlighted the fact that in many countries rape
victims are not examined by a gynaecologist or an
experienced police examiner and that no standard
protocols or guidelines exist on this matter (189).
The use of standard protocols and guidelines can
significantly improve the quality of treatment and
psychological support of victims, as well as the
evidence that is collected (190). Comprehensive
protocols and guidelines for female victims of
assault should include:
recording a full description of the incident,
listing all the assembled evidence;
listing the gynaecological and contraceptive
history of the victim;
documenting in a standard way the results of
a full physical examination;
assessment of the risk of pregnancy;
testing for and treating sexually transmitted
diseases, including, where appropriate, testing for HIV;
providing emergency contraception and,
where legal, counselling on abortion;
providing psychological support and
referral.
In some countries, the protocol forms part of the
procedure of a sexual assault evidence kit that
includes instructions and containers for collecting
evidence, appropriate legal forms and documents
for recording histories (191). Examinations of rape
victims are by their nature extremely stressful. The
use of a video to explain the procedure before an
examination has been shown significantly to
reduce the stress involved (192).
Training for health care professionals
Issues concerning sexual violence need to be

addressed in the training of all health service staff,
including psychiatrists and counsellors, in basic
training as well as in specialized postgraduate
courses. Such training should, in the first place, give
health care workers greater knowledge and awareness of sexual violence and make them more able to
detect and handle cases of abuse in a sensitive but
effective way. It should also help reduce instances of

sexual abuse within the health sector, something
that can be a significant, though generally unacknowledged, problem.
In the Philippines, the Task Force on Social
Science and Reproductive Health, a body that
includes doctors, nurses and social scientists and
is supported by the Department of Health, has
produced training modules for nursing and
medical students on gender-based violence. The
aims of this programme are (193):
. To understand the roots of violence in the
context of culture, gender and other social
aspects.
. To identify situations, within families or
homes that are at a high risk for violence,
where it would be appropriate to undertake:
primary interventions, in particular in
collaboration with other professionals;
secondary interventions, including identifying victims of violence, understanding
basic legal procedures and how to present
evidence, referring and following up
patients, and helping victims reintegrate
into society.
These training modules are built into the
curricula for both nursing and medical students.
For the nursing curriculum, the eleven modules are
spread over the 4 years of formal instruction, and
for medical students over their final 3 years of
practical training.
Prophylaxis for HIV infection
The possibility of transmission of HIV during rape

is a major cause for concern, especially in countries
with a high prevalence of HIV infection (194). The
use of antiretroviral drugs following exposure to
HIV is known in certain contexts to be reasonably
effective. For instance, the administration of the
antiretroviral drug zidovudine (AZT) to health
workers following an occupational needle-stick
exposure (puncturing the skin with a contaminated
needle) has been shown to reduce the subsequent
risk of developing HIV infection by 81% (195).
The average risk of HIV infection from a single
act of unprotected vaginal sex with an infected
167
partner is relatively low (approximately 12 per

1000, from male to female, and around 0.51 per
1000 from female to male). This risk, in fact, is of a
similar order to that from a needle-stick injury
(around 3 per 1000), for which postexposure
prophylaxis is now routine treatment (196). The
average risk of HIV infection from unprotected anal
sex is considerably higher, though, at around 530
per 1000. However, during rape, because of the
force used, it is very much more likely that there
will be macroscopic or microscopic tears to the
vaginal mucosa, something that will greatly
increase the probability of HIV transmission (194).
There is no information about the feasibility or
cost-effectiveness in resource-poor settings of
routinely offering rape victims prophylaxis for
HIV. Testing for HIV infection after rape is difficult
in any case. In the immediate aftermath of an
incident, many women are not in a position fully to
comprehend complicated information about HIV
testing and risks. Ensuring proper follow-up is also
difficult as many victims will not attend further
scheduled visits for reasons that probably relate to
their psychological coping following the assault.
The side-effects of antiretroviral treatment may also
be significant, causing people to drop out from a
course (195, 197), though those who perceive
themselves as being at high risk are much more
likely to be compliant (197).
Despite the lack of knowledge about the effectiveness of HIV prophylaxis following rape, many
organizations have recommended its use. For
instance, medical aid schemes in high-income
countries are increasingly including it in their care
packages. Research is urgently needed in middleincome and low-income countries on the effectiveness of antiretroviral treatment after rape and how it
could be included in patient care.
Centres providing comprehensive care to
victims of sexual assault
Because of the shortage of doctors in many

countries, specially trained nurses have been used
in some places to assist victims of sexual assault
(187). In Canada, nurses, known as sexual
assault nurse examiners, are trained to provide
168
comprehensive care to victims of sexual violence.

These nurses refer clients to a physician when
medical intervention is needed. In the province of
Ontario, Canada, the first sexual assault care centre
opened in 1984 and since then 26 others have been
established. These centres provide or coordinate a
wide range of services, including emergency
medical care and medical follow-up, counselling,
collecting forensic evidence of assault, legal support, and community consultation and education
(198). Centres that provide a range of services for
victims of sexual assault, often located in places
such as a hospital or police station, are being
developed in many countries (see Box 6.3).
Specialized centres such as these have the advantage
of providing appropriately trained and experienced
staff. In some places, on the other hand, integrated
centres exist providing services for victims of
different forms of violence.
Community-based efforts
Prevention campaigns
Attempts to change public attitudes towards sexual
violence using the media have included advertising
on hoardings (billboards) and in public transport, and on radio and television. Television has
been used effectively in South Africa and Zimbabwe.
The South African prime-time television series Soul
City is described in Box 9.1 of Chapter 9. In
Zimbabwe, the nongovernmental organization
Musasa has produced awareness-raising initiatives
using theatre, public meetings and debates, as well
as a television series where survivors of violence
described their experiences (199).
Other initiatives, besides media campaigns, have
been used in many countries. The Sisterhood Is
Global Institute in Montreal, Canada, for instance,
has developed a manual suitable for Muslim
communities aimed at raising awareness and
BOX 6.3
Integrated services for rape victims in Malaysian hospitals

In 1993, the first One-Stop Crisis Centre for battered women was established in the accident and
emergency department of Kuala Lumpur Hospital in Malaysia. Its aim was to provide a
coordinated interagency response to violence against women, in such a way as to enable victims
of assault to address their medical, legal, psychological and social problems at a single location.
Initially, the centre dealt exclusively with domestic violence, but has since extended its scope to
cover rape, with specific procedures for victims of rape.
At Kuala Lumpur Hospital, a crisis intervention team handles around 30 rape cases and 70 cases
of domestic violence each month. This team brings in expertise from the hospital itself and from
various womens groups, the police, the department of medical social workers, the legal aid office
and the Islamic Religious Bureau.
In 1996, the Malaysian Ministry of Health decided to extend this innovative health care strategy
and to establish similar centres in every public hospital of the country. Within 3 years, 34 such
centres had been set up. In these centres, psychiatrists, counsellors and medical social workers
carry out counselling on rape, and some of the clients become outpatients in the hospitals
psychiatric department. Trained social workers need to be on call 24 hours a day.
As the One-Stop Crisis Centre programme developed, various problems came to light. One
was the need for hospital staff to be better trained in handling issues of sexual violence with
sensitivity. Some hospital workers were seen to blame victims of rape for the violence they had
suffered, while others regarded the victims with voyeuristic curiosity instead of concentrating
on providing support. There was also a lack of forensic medical officers and of sufficient
sheltered accommodation for rape victims. Identifying these problems was an important first
step towards improving the programme and providing a higher quality of service for rape
victims.
stimulating debate on issues related to gender

equality and violence against women and girls
(200). The manual has been pilot-tested in Egypt,
Jordan and Lebanon and in an adaptation for nonMuslim settings used in Zimbabwe.
A United Nations interagency initiative to
combat gender-based violence is being conducted
in 16 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean
(201). The campaign is designed:
to raise awareness about the human, social
and economic costs of violence against
women and girls;
to build capacity at the governmental level to
develop and implement legislation against
gender violence;
to strengthen networks of public and private
organizations and carry out programmes to
prevent violence against women and girls.
Community activism by men
An important element in preventing sexual and

physical violence against women is a collective
initiative by men. Mens groups against domestic
violence and rape can be found in Australia, Africa,
Latin America and the Caribbean and Asia, and in
many parts of North America and Europe. The
underlying starting point for this type of initiative is
that men as individuals should take measures to
reduce their use of violence (202). Typical activities
include group discussions, education campaigns
and rallies, work with violent men, and workshops
in schools, prisons and workplaces. Actions are
frequently conducted in collaboration with womens organizations that are involved in preventing
violence and providing services to abused women.
In the United States alone, there are over 100
such mens groups, many of which focus specifically on sexual violence. The Men Can Stop Rape
group in Washington, DC, for instance, seeks to
promote alternative forms of masculinity that foster
non-violence and gender equality. Its recent
activities have included conducting presentations
in secondary schools, designing posters, producing
a handbook for teachers and publishing a youth
magazine (202).
169
School-based programmes
Action in schools is vital for reducing sexual and other

forms of violence. In many countries a sexual relation
between a teacher and a pupil is not a serious
disciplinary offence and policies on sexual harassment in schools either do not exist or are not
implemented. In recent years, though, some countries have introduced laws prohibiting sexual relations between teachers and pupils. Such measures are
important in helping eradicate sexual harassment in
schools. At the same time, a wider range of actions is
also needed, including changes to teacher training
and recruitment and reforms of curricula, so as to
transform gender relations in schools.
Legal and policy responses
Reporting and handling cases of sexual violence
Many countries have a system to encourage people
to report incidents of sexual violence to the police
and to improve the speed and sensitivity of the
processing of cases by the courts. The specific
mechanisms include dedicated domestic violence
units, sexual crime units, gender training for the
police and court officials, women-only police
stations and courts for rape offences. Some of these
mechanisms are discussed in Chapter 4.
Problems are sometimes created by the unwillingness of medical experts to attend court. The
reason for this is frequently that the court schedules
are unpredictable, with cases often postponed at
short notice and long waits for witnesses who are to
give short testimonies. In South Africa, to counter
this, the Directorate of Public Prosecutions has been
training magistrates to interrupt proceedings in
sexual violence cases when the medical expert
arrives so that testimonies can be taken and
witnesses cross-examined without delay.
Legal reform
Legal interventions that have been adopted in many

places have included:
broadening the definition of rape;
reforming the rules on sentencing and on
admissibility of evidence;
removing the requirements for victims
accounts to be corroborated.
170
In 1983, the Canadian laws on rape were

reformed, in particular removing the requirement
that accounts of rape be corroborated. Nonetheless,
an evaluation has found that the prosecutors have
tended to ignore this easing of the requirement for
corroboration and that few cases go to court
without forensic evidence (203).
Several countries in Asia, including the Philippines, have recently enacted legislation radically
redefining rape and mandating state assistance to
victims. The result has been a substantial increase in
the number of reported cases. Campaigns to inform
the general public of their legal rights must also take
place if the reformed legislation is to be fully effective.
To ensure that irrelevant information was not
admitted in court, the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia drew up certain rules,
which could serve as a useful model for effective laws
and procedures elsewhere. Rule 96 of the Tribunal
specifies that in cases of sexual assault there is no need
for corroboration of the victims testimony and that
the earlier sexual history of the victim is not to be
disclosed as evidence. The rule also deals with the
possible claim by the accused that there was consent
to the act, stating that consent as a defence shall not
be allowed if the victim has been subjected to or
threatened with physical or psychological violence,
or detention, or has had reason to fear such violence
or detention. Furthermore, consent shall not be
allowed under the rule if the victim had good reason
to believe that if he or she did not submit, another
person might be so subjected, threatened or put in
fear. Even where the claim of consent is allowed to
proceed, the accused has to satisfy the court that the
evidence for such a claim is relevant and credible,
before this evidence can be presented.
In many countries, judges hand out particularly
short sentences for sexual violence (204, 205). One
way of overcoming this has been to introduce
minimum sentencing for convictions for rape,
unless there are extenuating circumstances.
International treaties
International treaties are important as they set

standards for national legislation and provide a
lever for local groups to campaign for legal reforms.
Among the relevant treaties that impinge on sexual

violence and its prevention include:
the Convention on the Elimination of All
Forms of Discrimination Against Women
(1979);
the Convention on the Rights of the Child
(1989) and its Optional Protocol on the Sale
of Children, Child Prostitution and Child
Pornography (2000);
the Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime (2000) and its supplemental
Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish
Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women
and Children (2000);
the Convention Against Torture and Other
Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment (1984).
A number of other international agreements set
norms and limits of behaviour, including behaviour
in conflicts, that necessitate provisions in national
legislation. The Rome Statute of the International
Criminal Court (1998), for instance, covers a broad
spectrum of gender-specific crimes, including rape,
sexual slavery, enforced prostitution, forced pregnancy and forced sterilization. It also includes
certain forms of sexual violence that constitute a
breach or serious violation of the 1949 Geneva
Conventions, as well as other forms of sexual
violence that are comparable in gravity to crimes
against humanity. The inclusion of gender crimes
in the definitions of the statute is an important
historical development in international law (206).
Actions to prevent other forms of sexual
violence
Sexual trafficking
Initiatives to prevent the trafficking of people for
sexual purposes have generally aimed to:
create economic programmes in certain
countries for women at risk of being
trafficked;
provide information and raise awareness so
that women at potential risk are aware of the
danger of trafficking.
In addition, several government programmes
and nongovernmental organizations are develop-
ing services for the victims of trafficking (207). In

Cyprus, the Aliens and Immigration Department
approaches women entering the country to work in
the entertainment or domestic service sectors. The
Department advises the women on their rights and
obligations and on available forms of protection
against abuse, exploitation and procurement into
prostitution. In the European Union and the United
States, victims of trafficking willing to cooperate
with the judicial system in prosecuting traffickers
can receive temporary residence permits. In
Belgium and Italy, shelters have been set up for
victims of trafficking. In Mumbai, India, an antitrafficking centre has been set up to facilitate the
arrest and prosecution of offenders, and to provide
assistance and information to trafficked women.
Female genital mutilation
Addressing cultural practices that are sexually

violent requires an understanding of their social,
cultural and economic context. Khafagi has argued
(208) that such practices which include female
genital mutilation should be understood from the
perspective of those who perform them and that
such knowledge can be used to design culturally
appropriate interventions to prevent the practices.
In the Kapchorwa district of Uganda, the REACH
programme has been successful in reducing rates of
female genital mutilation. The programme, led by
the Sabiny Elders Association, sought to enlist the
support of elders in the community in detaching
the practice of female genital mutilation from the
cultural values it purported to serve. In its place,
alternative activities were substituted, that upheld
the original cultural tradition (209). Box 6.4
describes another programme, in Egypt, to prevent
female genital mutilation.
Child marriage
Child marriage has a cultural basis and is often legal,

so the task of achieving change is considerable.
Simply outlawing early marriages will not, of itself,
usually be sufficient to prevent the practice. In
many countries the process of registering births is
so irregular that age at first marriage may not be
known (100). Approaches that address poverty
171
an important factor underlying many such marriages and those that stress educational goals, the
health consequences of early childbirth and the
rights of children are more likely to achieve results.
Rape during armed conflicts
The issue of sexual violence in armed conflicts has

recently again been brought to the fore by
organizations such as the Association of the
Widows of the Genocide (AVEGA) and the Forum
for African Women Educationalists. The former has
supported war widows and rape victims in Rwanda
and the latter has provided medical care and
counselling to victims in Sierra Leone (210).
In 1995, the Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees released guidelines on
the prevention of and response to sexual violence
among refugee populations (211). These guidelines include provisions for:
the design and planning of camps, to reduce
susceptibility to violence;
documenting cases;
educating and training staff to identify,
respond to and prevent sexual violence;
medical care and other support services,
including procedures to avoid further trauma to victims.
The guidelines also cover public awareness
campaigns, educational activities and the setting up
of womens groups to report and respond to violence.
Based on work in Guinea (212) and the United
Republic of Tanzania (96), the International Rescue Committee has developed a programme to
combat sexual violence in refugee communities. It
includes the use of participatory methods to assess
the prevalence of sexual and gender-based violence
in refugee populations, the training and deployment of community workers to identify cases and
set up appropriate prevention systems, and measures for community leaders and other officials to
prosecute perpetrators. The programme has been
used in many places against sexual and genderbased violence, including Bosnia and Herzegovina,
the Democratic Republic of the Congo, East Timor,
Kenya, Sierra Leone and The former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia.
172
BOX 6.4
Putting an end to female genital mutilation: the case of Egypt

Female genital mutilation is extremely common among married women in Egypt. The 1995
Demographic and Health Survey found that the age group in which the practice was most
frequently used was 9--13 years. Nearly half of those performing female circumcisions were
doctors and 32% were midwives or nurses. Sociological research has found that the main reasons
given for practising female circumcision were to uphold tradition, to control the sexual desires of
women, to make women clean and pure and, most importantly, to make them eligible for
marriage.
Largely stemming from the public awareness created by the International Conference on
Population and Development held in Cairo in 1994, a movement against female genital
mutilation, spanning a broad range of sectors, was built up.
In terms of the response from health officials and professionals, a joint statement in 1998 from
the Egyptian Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics and the Egyptian Fertility Care Society
declared that female genital mutilation was both useless and harmful, and constituted unethical
practice for a doctor. The Egyptian Minister of Health and Population also issued a decree banning
anyone from performing female genital mutilation.
Religious leaders in the Muslim world also voiced their opposition to the practice. The Grand
Mufti put out a statement pointing out that there was no mention of female circumcision in the
Koran and that sayings (hadith) attributed to the Prophet Muhammad on the subject were not
definitively confirmed by evidence. Furthermore, in 1998, the Conference on Population and
Reproductive Health in the Muslim World adopted a recommendation calling on Islamic countries
to move to end all forms of violence against women, with a reminder that under Islamic law
(sharia) no obligation existed to circumcise girls.
Egyptian nongovernmental organizations have mobilized on the issue, disseminating
information on female genital mutilation and including it in community development, health
awareness and other programmes. A task force of some 60 nongovernmental organizations has
been set up to combat the practice.
Several nongovernmental organizations --- often working through male community leaders --are now actively involving men, educating them about the dangers of female genital mutilation.
In this process, young men are being encouraged to declare that they will marry uncircumcised
women.
In Upper Egypt there is a programme aimed at various social groups --- including community
leaders, religious leaders and professional people --- to train them as campaigners against female
genital mutilation. Counselling is also offered to families who are considering not circumcising
their daughters and discussions are conducted with health workers to dissuade them from
performing the practice.
Recommendations
More research
Sexual violence has generally been a neglected area

of research in most parts of the world, yet the
evidence suggests that it is a public health problem
of substantial proportions. Much more needs to be
done both to understand the phenomenon and to
prevent it.
The lack of an agreed definition of sexual violence and

the paucity of data describing the nature and extent of
the problem worldwide have contributed to its lack of
visibility on the agendas of policy-makers and donors.
There is a need for substantial further research on
almost every aspect of sexual violence, including:
the incidence and prevalence of sexual violence in a range of settings, using a standard
research tool for measuring sexual coercion;
the risk factors for being a victim or a
perpetrator of sexual violence;
the health and social consequences of
different forms of sexual violence;
the factors influencing recovery of health
following a sexual assault;
the social contexts of different forms of
sexual violence, including sexual trafficking,
and the relationships between sexual violence and other forms of violence.
Determining effective responses
Interventions must also be studied to produce a
better understanding of what is effective in
different settings for preventing sexual violence
and for treating and supporting victims. The
following areas should be given priority:
. Documenting and evaluating services and
interventions that support survivors or work
with perpetrators of sexual violence.
. Determining the most appropriate health
sector responses to sexual violence, including
the role of prophylactic antiretroviral therapy
for HIV prevention after rape with different
basic packages of services being recommended
for different settings, depending on the level
of resources.
. Determining what constitutes appropriate
psychological support for different settings
and circumstances.
. Evaluating programmes aimed at preventing
sexual violence, including community-based
interventions particularly those focusing on
men and school-based programmes.
. Studying the impact of legal reforms and
criminal sanctions.
Greater attention to primary prevention
Primary prevention of sexual violence is often
marginalized in favour of providing services for
survivors. Policy-makers, researchers, donors and
nongovernmental organizations should therefore
give much greater attention to this important area.
173
Priority should be given to the following:

the primary prevention of all forms of sexual
violence through programmes in communities, schools and refugee settings;
support for culturally sensitive and participatory approaches to changing attitudes and
behaviour;
support for programmes addressing the
prevention of sexual violence in the broader
context of promoting gender equality;
programmes that address some of the underlying socioeconomic causes of violence,
including poverty and lack of education,
for example by providing job opportunities
for young people;
programmes to improve child rearing, reduce
the vulnerability of women and promote
more gender-equitable notions of masculinity.
Addressing sexual abuse within the
health sector
Sexual violence against patients in the health sector
exists in many places, but is not usually acknowledged as a problem. Various steps need to be taken
to overcome this denial and to confront the
problem, including the following (83, 85):
incorporating topics pertaining to gender
and sexual violence, including ethical considerations relevant to the medical profession, in the curricula for basic and
postgraduate training of physicians, nurses
and other health workers;
actively seeking ways to identify and investigate possible cases of abuse of patients
within health institutions;
utilizing international bodies of the medical
and nursing professions, and nongovernmental organizations (including womens
organizations) to monitor and compile evidence of abuse and campaign for action on the
part of governments and health services;
establishing proper codes of practice and complaints procedures, and strict disciplinary
procedures for health workers who abuse
patients in health care settings.
174
Conclusion
Sexual violence is a common and serious public
health problem affecting millions of people each
year throughout the world. It is driven by many
factors operating in a range of social, cultural and
economic contexts. At the heart of sexual violence
directed against women is gender inequality.
In many countries, data on most aspects of sexual
violence are lacking, and there is a great need
everywhere for research on all aspects of sexual
violence. Of equal importance are interventions.
These are of various types, but the essential ones
concern the primary prevention of sexual violence,
targeting both women and men, interventions
supporting the victims of sexual assault, measures
to make it more likely that perpetrators of rape will
be caught and punished, and strategies for changing social norms and raising the status of women.
It is vital to develop interventions for resource-poor
settings and rigorously to evaluate programmes in
both industrialized and developing countries.
Health professionals have a large role to play in
supporting the victims of sexual assault medically
and psychologically and collecting evidence to
assist prosecutions. The health sector is considerably more effective in countries where there are
protocols and guidelines for managing cases and
collecting evidence, where staff are well-trained
and where there is good collaboration with the
judicial system. Ultimately, the strong commitment
and involvement of governments and civil society,
along with a coordinated response across a range of
sectors, are required to end sexual violence.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
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CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 6. SEXUAL VIOLENCE

How is sexual violence defined?

Sexual violence occurs throughout the world.

Sexual violence is defined as:

WORLD REPORT ON VIOLENCE AND HEALTH

violent acts against the sexual integrity of

larger section may be elucidated through survey

The extent of the problem

Magnitude of the problem of sexual violence

Estimates of sexual violence

CHAPTER 6. SEXUAL VIOLENCE

Source: references 35 and 36.

studies, the percentage of women reporting having

violence. For instance, in a

Sexual violence by intimate partners

In many countries a substantial proportion of

WORLD REPORT ON VIOLENCE AND HEALTH

Sources: references 1--3, 37, 42--53.

studies show that sexual assault by an intimate partner

their lifetime (including attempted assaults) has also

A growing number of studies, particularly from

CHAPTER 6. SEXUAL VIOLENCE

casecontrol study, for example, of 191 adolescent

Rape involving at least two or more perpetrators is

world. Systematic information on the extent of the

Each year hundreds of thousands of women and

Percentage reporting first sexual

Age group (years)

Source: references 5, 6 and 54--60.

WORLD REPORT ON VIOLENCE AND HEALTH

Sexual violence against men and boys

The extent of the problem

Consequences of sexual violence

Prevention and policy responses

CHAPTER 6. SEXUAL VIOLENCE

BOX 6.1 (continued)

women and girls are illegally traded to India each

Whether trafficked or not, sex workers are at high

of sex workers in Bangladesh revealed that 49% of

For many young women, the most common place

WORLD REPORT ON VIOLENCE AND HEALTH

responsible for 32% of disclosed child rapes (34).

Sexual violence against patients in health facilities

Rape has been used as a strategy in many conflicts,

reports of extensive sexual violence against women

CHAPTER 6. SEXUAL VIOLENCE

uncommon. In Nigeria, the mean age at first

In many places, there are customs other than

What are the risk factors for sexual

Young women are usually found to be more at risk

WORLD REPORT ON VIOLENCE AND HEALTH

one-third and two-thirds of all victims of sexual

Increased vulnerability to sexual violence also stems

There is some evidence linking experiences of

Young women who have many sexual partners are

findings from a representative sample of men and

Women are at increased risk of sexual violence, as