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Previous studies posited that survivors of rape receive better treatment from the police when advocates are involved and the police embrace collaboration. However, the collaborative relationship between the Nigerian police and rape victim advocates has yet to receive scholarly attention. To address this, a qualitative study was conducted, with 24 police officers of sexual offense units in six Police Commands, and 50 rape victim advocates from 28 advocacy groups. A thematic analysis of the narratives was carried out. Findings indicated problematic police-advocate collaboration in the process of reporting, interviewing, investigating, and prosecuting rape cases. Advocates stated that officers exhibited rape myth acceptance. Officers stated that advocates often display aggressive approaches in interfering with interviews, are ignorant of police procedures, and often wrongly accuse officers of corrupt practices. These findings have important practical, policy, and further research implications if criminal justice efficiencies and ideal victim support services are to be achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractWhile applauded as important for survivors, the #MeToo movement is criticized for ignoring survivors of color. Interviews with 41 rape victim advocates reveal that they perceive a racial bias in the movement. Eighteen advocates note that an African American woman started the movement, but it did not garner attention until taken over by White survivors and celebrities. Advocates perceive that the movement does not give victims of color a voice, and they are not believed (15 advocates discuss). According to 13 advocates, the movement reflects societal racial bias and blame of survivors of color. Understanding advocates’ perceptions could improve the recognition and inclusion of survivors of color, not only by the #MeToo movement but also in general sexual victimization awareness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an average of five rape cases reported in Malaysia on a daily basis. The problem lies not in the hands of an individual or a few misogynistic men but in society as a whole. It lies in the mind-set of the people and every one of us taking part in rape culture by endorsing rape myths. Rape myth acceptance within the Malaysian society encourages sexual assaults or sexual violence. Some of the popular rape myths are the victim's choice of clothing, emotional reactions of victims, presence of physical injuries, rape happens between strangers, women lie about rape, and men cannot be raped. These most common rape myths are discussed and then debunked. Subsequently, the aftermath of rape is explained. Proactive actions against rape are also presented as many of the existing school-based programs against rape are lopsided as women are taught on how to avoid rape instead of men being taught to respect women and prevent rape. This article aims to serve as an eye-opener for Malaysian counselors, psychologists, educators, and society as a whole to build up their knowledge, skills, and experience when working or dealing with rape victims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Ciência & Saúde Coletiva is the property of Associacao Brasileira de Pos-Graduacao em Saude Coletiva and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This research aimed to analyze the legality of abortion by medical professionals for rape victims in Indonesia through the perspective of maqashid sharia. This study adopts a normative legal research approach, utilizing statutory interpretation (legal approach) and conceptual analysis (conceptual approach). The results of this study suggest that maqashid sharia emphasizes that abortions should not be performed arbitrarily and are only permissible in urgent situations that fulfill sharia objectives. This includes scenarios where the mother's life is at risk or serious medical conditions prevent the continuation of pregnancy. Such decisions should be made carefully, considering maslahah and mafsadat and involving consultations with medical experts and religious authorities. The maslahah principles elucidated by al-Tufi expand the flexibility in legal interpretation, allowing for Islamic law adaptation to contemporary needs and conditions. This is particularly relevant in abortion cases, where explicit guidance may not always be found in religious texts. Overall, the maqashid sharia approach to abortion underscores the importance of principles of justice, balance, and humanity in Islamic law. By considering all these aspects, Islamic law can provide relevant and adaptive guidance in addressing contemporary issues like abortion while remaining faithful to the primary objectives of sharia to achieve collective good and avoid harm. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis legalitas aborsi oleh tenaga medis bagi korban perkosaan di Indonesia melalui perspektif maqasid syariah. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian hukum normatif, dengan menggunakan pendekatan peraturan perundang-undangan (legal approach) dan pendekatan konseptual (conceptual approach). Temuan penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa ada ketegangan antara norma hukum yang ketat dan prinsip-prinsip maslahat dalam maqasid syariah yang mengutamakan kesejahteraan dan perlindungan terhadap korban perkosaan. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukan bahwa maqasid syariah menekankan bahwa aborsi tidak boleh dilakukan sembarangan dan hanya diperbolehkan dalam situasi mendesak dan memenuhi tujuan syariah. Ini termasuk situasi di mana kelangsungan hidup ibu terancam atau kondisi medis yang serius tidak memungkinkan kehamilan berlanjut. Keputusan tersebut harus diambil dengan hati-hati, dengan mempertimbangkan maslahah (barang publik) dan mafsadat (bahaya), dan melibatkan konsultasi dengan para ahli medis dan otoritas agama. Prinsip-prinsip mashlahah yang dijelaskan oleh al-Tufi memperluas fleksibilitas dalam interpretasi hukum, memungkinkan adaptasi hukum Islam dengan kebutuhan dan kondisi kontemporer. Ini sangat relevan dalam kasus aborsi, di mana tidak selalu ada panduan eksplisit dalam teks-teks agama. Secara keseluruhan, pendekatan maqasid syariah terhadap aborsi menggarisbawahi pentingnya prinsip-prinsip keadilan, keseimbangan, dan kemanusiaan dalam hukum Islam. Dengan mempertimbangkan semua aspek ini, hukum Islam dapat memberikan panduan yang relevan dan adaptif dalam menangani isu-isu kontemporer seperti aborsi, sambil tetap setia pada tujuan utama syariah untuk mencapai kebaikan bersama dan menghindari bahaya.

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

In December 1946, college student Shen Chong was raped by an inebriated US Marine in Peking. Although the initial trial by the court martial in China found the Marine guilty, the verdict was overturned by Judge Advocate General of the Navy in Washington. Student protests quickly turned into a nationwide anti‐American movement. In contrast to previous studies that emphasise the event's political impacts from the perspective of American imperialism and Chinese nationalism, this article shifts both the focus and scale of inquiry from the macro of national and international politics to the micro of a Chinese woman's body, investigating the particular mechanisms through which injustice towards a Chinese woman was executed in the US justice system. Probing along and against the 'archival grain' in both countries and languages, this article argues that such injustice was not only grounded in the political hegemony of the US military empire, but also resulted from a flawed legal system steeped in racial and sexual biases against Chinese women. This article further suggests that in order to understand this key chapter of Sino–US history, we must bring back to the centre of our study the injured woman, a figure that has remained largely invisible in the grand narratives of conventional political and diplomatic history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rape victim testimony may seem incongruent with the 'real rape' stereotype and appear more consistent with typical consensual sex. This research investigated whether having victims describe stereotype-consistent events early in their testimony guides jurors to construct narratives of the evidence that are consistent with rape and depict the defendant as guilty. In Study 1, a convenience sample (N = 38, 65.79% female, 34.21% male) watched video testimony in which the victim described the details of the assault first or last, with participants verbalising their thoughts about the testimony as they watched. We then recorded participants' spoken narratives about the alleged rape, which community members (N = 418, 41.15% female, 58.61% male, 0.24% gender-fluid) evaluated in Study 2. In Study 1, participants' thoughts in the rape-first condition suggested they attended more to the victim's non-verbal cues to deception than the events described. Consistent with this, participants in Study 2 rated the narratives of those in the rape-first condition as less complete. However, counter to predictions, participants' perceptions of the narratives as typical of rape did not differ based on condition. Further, participants were less likely to find the defendant guilty after listening to the narratives of those in the rape-first condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of eugenics took an exclusionary and abusive turn in the first decades of the twentieth century, when prominent lawyers, scientists and first-wave feminists championed the cause. Indiana's 1907 eugenicist ruling was adopted by thirty-two states, and consequently forced sterilizations were performed on whomever lawmakers considered unworthy of bearing children. The most notorious case of sterilization, Buck v. Bell, was performed on Carrie Buck, a victim of rape. K. D. Alden's novel, A Mother's Promise (2021), is a fictional rendering of the story, which depicts the fractures of American legal and social structures. By drawing Ruth-Ann Riley's portrait, Buck's fictional counterpart, it convincingly exposes America's restrictive practices. This paper aims at exploring, through a feminist perspective, Riley's struggle against overbearing eugenicist practices, performed by pseudo-scientists and lawyers who utilized eugenics to promote their professional and economic interests. Additionally, based on Foucault's theory of power-knowledge relations, the paper demonstrates how, within this context, power and knowledge sustain each other. Finally, it relates the ethical issues concerning misogynistic practices and objectifying women's bodies that were at stake one hundred years ago to twenty-first-century feminist discourse with respect to the #MeToo movement and the overturning of the Roe v. Wade decision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual arousal in male and female victims during nonconsensual sex is an understudied phenomenon with many potential psychological, clinical, and legal implications for survivors. The aim of this scoping review was to assess the literature to determine whether we could estimate the frequency and circumstances of physiological sexual arousal (e.g., erection, lubrication, ejaculation, orgasm) among victims during nonconsensual sex. Six reference database and hand searches led to the screening of 13,894 articles and other reports. Eight articles and one book published between 1977 and 2019 included relevant data from 136 male survivors and 250 female survivors. Results confirmed that physiological sexual arousal (only genital responses were mentioned) can occur in both male and female victims during nonconsensual sex. The frequency of these responses could not be determined because of the widely different methodologies used. In addition, it was not possible to determine the circumstances in which victim sexual arousal was more likely to occur although some were inferred. The results of the scoping review highlight that physiological sexual arousal during nonconsensual sex does occur for victims but has not been studied systematically. There is a clear need to properly assess the type, circumstances, consequences, and frequency of sexual arousal during nonconsensual sex in large and diverse populations of male and female survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alcohol and Other Drug Facilitated Sexual Violence (AODFSV), known as "drink-spiking," is the administration of alcohol or other drugs to someone without their consent, with the intent to harm them. Investigation into portrayals of AODFSV in the Australian news media is needed. Using feminist critical discourse analysis, this paper investigated the portrayal of AODFSV in the Australian news media in the past ten years. 226 articles were included for analysis and three themes were identified. Firstly, "how the media constructs the drink spiking narrative," uses the "cautionary tale" that warns women about the dangers of the night-time economy and reinforces and perpetuates victim-blaming and rape myths. Secondly, "how the media normalises the drink spiking discourse" focuses on the substances used in drink spiking, the settings, the construction of the perpetrator and the victim as well as the depictions of sexual violence. Thirdly, "how the media shapes responses from emergency services" including police and hospital staff. This paper highlights the way the media creates and reinforces drink-spiking discourse, which constructs drink-spiking as individual behaviour rather than a culturally embedded issue. Such ideology perpetuates victim blaming and rape myths. We argue for critical and thoughtful reporting on AODFSV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Victims of rape must decide whether to file a police report, and many victims decide not to report the rape to the police. The literature on the associations between demographic and individual factors and reporting rape to the police is limited. Here, we investigated the associations between demographic and individual factors (education, socioeconomic status, age, native country, years lived in Finland, gender, sexual orientation, relationship status, close persons, substance use, and mental disorder) and police reporting in a Finnish sample of rape victims (N = 191) who visited the Helsinki Seri Support Center. We collected data through an online survey. We found some evidence that victims with a university degree might be less likely to report than those with a vocational qualification. None of the other factors measured were robustly associated with reporting. It is possible that the services provided by the Seri Support Center successfully mitigate otherwise encountered obstacles to reporting. The current study was the first to investigate this topic in Finland. The practical implications of these findings are discussed, and the value of support services highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The culture of silence is a worrisome trend evident amongst rape victims due to stigmatization from family and the society. These victims through a conscious effort adopts silence to protect their reputation rather than be labeled victims of rape. The erroneous attitude posed towards rape victims forms their culture of silence which becomes a negative consequence and an after effect of rape which is harmful and accounts for traumatic symptoms such as flash backs, nights mares and depression. This paper critiques the representation of the culture of silence amongst rape victims by analyzing two Nollywood films Alter Ego and Tales of Lucy. The research method applied for this paper is the qualitative research method and the tool used is the content analysis, through a dissection of the culture of silence captured in the films. This work is anchored on Noelle Neumann's spiral of silence process which induces fear of isolation and propels the victims to constantly assess opinion climate and often to change his or her opinion in accordance with the perceived major opinion of the public. This work concludes that fear of isolation, stigmatization, reprisal attacks are identified reasons why rape victims accede to the culture of silence. This research therefore recommends care and responsive support from family, friends of rape victims in order to help victims recuperate from such harrowing experience and make them perform optimally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Foco (Interdisciplinary Studies Journal) is the property of Revista Foco and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Past research has shown that date rape continues to remain a major instrument in rape cases. Moreover, hostile sexism and victim blaming are significant predictors of acceptance of rape on dates. The current study assesses whether rape myth acceptance, victim blaming and hostile sexism significantly predict acceptance towards rape on a date among Pakistani adults. A cross-sectional research design was employed in the study with a sample of 330 participants selected through a sensitivity analysis based on G power analysis with 95% confidence intervals. The findings showed that this sample was sufficient to achieve the desired effect sizes. Data analysis was done using Pearson product moment correlation, hierarchical regression, independent sample t test and moderated mediation analysis via AMOS. The results showed that all study variables had acceptable levels of reliability. It was also found that hostile sexism, victim blaming and rape myth acceptance significantly and positively predicted acceptance of rape perpetrated by a male on a date. The findings further showed higher levels of victim blaming moderated the mediating effect of hostile sexism on the association between rape myth acceptance and acceptance of rape perpetrated by a male on a date. It is thus concluded that hostile sexism, victim blaming and rape myth acceptance significantly predict acceptance of rape on a date. It was also found that males have a higher tendency towards hostile sexism, victim blaming and rape myth acceptance and thus may be more likely to view the perpetrators of rape as being more credible in comparison to the victims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual violence is a pervasive global issue that affects individuals of all genders. However, the experiences of male survivors have often been marginalized and inadequately represented. Male rape, which encompasses several forms of sexual violence against men, remains a sensitive and under-discussed topic in academic literature and public discourse. This study presents a descriptive cross-sectional analysis based on data collected from the Legal Medicine Institute (IML-São Paulo, Brazil) between 2014 and 2017. The analysis includes 7386 reports of sexological examinations performed on male victims of alleged rape. The analysis reveals that a significant majority of rape reports involved victims under the age of 12 or 14, which is considered vulnerable rape by the Brazilian legislation. Regarding the examination of reported cases of abuse against men, it was observed that only the minority of these cases exhibited visible injuries consistent with rape or tested positive for the presence of spermatozoa in the perianal region. Since the absence of visible injuries or spermatozoa does not negate the possibility of rape, this work highlights the challenges in obtaining conclusive evidence, necessitating a comprehensive approach to investigate and prosecute these crimes, creating a more inclusive and supportive environment for all survivors of rape, irrespective of their gender. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The #MeToo movement promotes awareness of the prevalence of sexual victimization, but it has been criticized for overlooking some survivors. The purpose of this qualitative research is to explore 41 U.S. rape victim advocates' perceptions of the #MeToo movement's inclusion of or impact on survivors who identify as men. Results indicate that advocates perceive that men are not encouraged to disclose their experiences or become involved in the #MeToo movement. This reflects differences in general societal responses to rape survivors based on gender. Advocates' perceptions inform the #MeToo movement's future and possibly the anti-rape movement's future. The movement's efforts to recognize the prevalence of sexual victimization and create change through social media activism may fall short without recognition of the experiences of all survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transitional justice, which today has become a widespread and very useful concept, which allows the transition from an authoritarian system to the rule of law, which aims to establish a democratic regime that respects human rights - and what is important not at the level of declarations and applicable methods, but, first of all, this must become the philosophical basis of his daily life. The purpose of transitional justice is to restore the dignity of the victims, to establish mutual trust between the antagonistic groups, to favor the institutional exchange necessary for a new relationship within the population that will allow the establishment of a state of law, including through an effective control of the practice of total or partial impunity. The various constitutive elements of transitional justice generally combine reparative measures of restorative justice (Truth and Reconciliation Commissions), meanwhile establishing parallel mechanisms of punitive justice (especially in relation to the main responsible or direct executors of the most serious crimes).2 On the other hand, transitional justice claims to reform the institutional system, restoring the primacy of law and ensuring the functioning of judicial institutions for the future, fighting in the meantime against impunity for the crimes committed during the previous period. In this sense, transitional justice pursues a multiple goal within the framework of an end to a conflict, in which other imperatives are imposed on government officials - the disarmament of combatant forces, the restoration of citizens' security, the compensation of victims and the restoration of the economy of devastated societies. After being neglected for a long time, the victim is at the center of current political concerns and is the object of a constantly growing interest, mainly in the criminal field and not in social discourses.3 But this phenomenon, positive from some aspects, is not without problems and arouses controversial debates among researchers and actors of the criminal world. This imposition of the victim seems to exist not only in the criminal system, but also in the current socio-political terrain. This predominance is observed in many Western states, lately becoming dominant to some extent both in international criminal law and in international humanitarian law, being taken into consideration the burden of victims in the status granted to them in armed conflicts. The participation of victims in the criminal procedure is generally a recent phenomenon, which seems to be far from being accepted. Victims played and play a secondary role in the tribunals previously established by the International Criminal Court (ICC).4 They were considered only as a means in the de facto absence of a participation or compensation system. Under the influence of strong pressures, the tendency to take into account the opinions and concerns of the victims, including admission in the criminal procedure, became visible in national and international law, and with the involvement of non-governmental organizations and states, the basis of a system was laid that provides for a relatively broad participation of victims in ICC trials. Even if its modalities are still the subject of harsh discussions, it is generally recognized that it is an important and useful tool that would allow victims of serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law to be heard and to hope for possible reconciliation.5 The evolution of the process of increasing interest in victims is the result of political, social and legal tensions that started in the 1960s, with the implementation of state policies regarding victim compensation and the development of victim defense associations, being influenced by the social movement that opted for civil and women's rights. We find that taking the victim into consideration in social and penal policies has progressed in a meteorological manner. National and international investigations allowed taking into account the victims' dissatisfaction with the criminal system, which led to a genuine experience of secondary victimization, which has as a general consequence the tendency of a weak denunciation of the criminal acts to which they were subjected. They also emphasized the diversity and extent of trauma suffered by some victims, especially after going through interpersonal violence, such as rape or family violence. In addition, towards 1950, a new discipline had developed, a component of criminology, but which very quickly became autonomous - victimology. This field of research focuses on the study of the victim, on his psychological and physical reactions to the sustained achievement, but also on his experience of relying on the act of justice and society in general. These various findings gave rise to state structures to help victims, which have spread throughout the world. The victim thus became a political stake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual assault and rape are pervasive across all nations and cultures. This gender-based crime is considered one of the most heinous crimes in Bangladesh. A first information report (FIR) and subsequent investigation by police officers are the first steps in the criminal justice response to rape. Unfortunately, it is frequently difficult for law enforcement officials to conduct an investigation and guarantee justice for the victims. Delays and improper investigations dampen the enthusiasm of rape victims seeking justice. This paper explores the issues and challenges the police officers confront when investigating rape cases. A qualitative research approach has been applied to this study, where a total of 15 police officers participated in in-depth interviews. This paper reveals that problems with existing legal instruments, crime scene management, and evidence collection processes are apparent in rape case investigations. Furthermore, challenges pertaining to medical and forensic examinations, insufficient logistical support, an excessive number of responsibilities, and various internal and external pressures have a detrimental impact on the efficacy of police investigations. Victim and witness non-cooperation, delays in filing cases, practices of filing false rape cases, informal mediation, and out-of-court settlements all reduce the success rate of police investigations and result in low conviction rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tonic immobility (TI) is a common uncontrollable autonomic mammalian response to an extremely fearful situation. It is one of the most immediate devastating consequences of rape and remains poorly understood. While controversies over its definition persist among researchers, this also reflects on the care for and support to victims. The study aimed to explore and describe the onset of TI and the meaning attached to the experience among women raped victims in Nigeria. The study design was the qualitative narrative inquiry approach. Criterion and purposive sampling were conducted across four post-rape care facilities in Lagos, Nigeria, to recruit 13 participants. In-depth face-to-face interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide to generate data that were thematically analysed. The findings of the study revealed five themes relating to the onset of TI as follows: the first two focused on the experience of TI: (1) the onset of TI prior to rape due to perceived imminent danger, (2) the onset of TI as a self-protection mechanism from further harm) while the last three relate to the meaning-making of the experience of TI (3) self-loathing as a meaning attached to TI, (4) suicidal ideations as a meaning attached to TI, and (5) divine intervention as a meaning attached to TI. Conclusion: The findings underscore the experiences and meanings that participants attach to TI following rape. There is a strong likelihood that tonic-immobility is not an uncommon experience amongst rape victims, but that in the absence of research, specialized care on the condition, and its associated consequences will haunt many women, affecting their psychological well-being and their entire quality of life. Describing the phenomenon as it is experienced by the participants is critical because understanding the condition is the first step toward effective appropriate management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual assault remains an entrenched public health issue, with adolescent and emerging adult women at disproportionate risk for victimization. Identifying common typologies of sexual assault could be critical in developing effective prevention and intervention. However, prior work in this area has primarily utilized quantitative methodologies to classify sexual assaults into typologies, which may not capture important contextual factors and assault characteristics within typologies. The current study utilized a mixed methods approach, including analysis of survivors' sexual assault narratives, to identify sexual assault typologies among a sample of college rape survivors (N = 106). Six typologies were identified, which were characterized by specific constellations of assault contexts, perpetration tactics, patterns of perpetrator and victim substance use, and type of relationship between survivor and perpetrator. Future research utilizing multiple methodologies (e.g., interviews, quantitative assessments) should attempt to characterize assault typologies more fully among survivors, as this work could lead to the identification of previously overlooked targets for comprehensive sexual assault prevention programs. Likewise, research focused on identifying risk and recovery-related factors among survivors of different types of assault could be used to tailor interventions to increase their uptake and effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite some positive outcomes of campaigns against sexual violence, rape is widespread in many countries. Many scholars have argued that rape myths – false beliefs about the victim and the perpetrator in rape cases – support the normalization of sexual assaults and result in victim blaming. Statistics show that Russian women suffer from various types of interpersonal violence, including rape, but there are limited instruments available to research the issue. Hence, this study aims to translate and validate the Illinois Rape Myths Acceptance Scale (IRMA) into Russian. For Study 1, the sample consisted of 914 Russian-speaking men (n = 482; Mage = 36.941, SDage = 10.096) and women (n = 431; Mage = 36.352, SDage = 11.007), living in Russia. We measured the structural validity of the scale using Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses. The latter indicated a good fit of the short-form Russian IRMA (SF R-IRMA), particularly for a seven-factor model. For Study 2, a separate sample was collected (N = 565, 53.8% women; Mage = 37.31, SDage = 10.72), with a questionnaire including SF R-IRMA (21 items), Ambivalent Sexism Inventory, Right-Wing Authoritarianism, and Belief in Just World to examine convergent validity. Additionally, we performed Multi-Group Confirmatory Factor Analysis (MGCFA) to determine the invariance of measurements across four demographic groups. The results of both the correlation analysis and MGCFA support the validity and applicability of SF R-IRMA to various populations. The difference between the original eight-factor IRMA and SF R-IRMA is discussed in the context of cultural assumptions about rape as an event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article addresses the issue of victim blaming in sex crimes. It examines the causes that lead people to blame rape victims and the consequences of victim blaming, including its impact on the mental health and well-being of survivors. The findings of the study revealed that to prevent rape and sexual assault, it is imperative to educate men on the prevention of rape and to challenge traditional gender roles. Parents should be made aware of the potential dangers of gender socialization. Women and girls should never be instructed to alter their behavior or attire. This approach may inadvertently convey the notion that their actions are a cause of rape or sexual assault. In the event of rape or sexual assault, it is crucial to provide support to the victim. It is also essential to cease the practice of blaming victims. The perpetrator is solely responsible and should be held accountable. To eradicate rape, it is essential that individuals recognize the potential for men and women to coexist as equals. Finally, the article suggests some strategies to challenge victim blaming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes the mistreatment of rape victims in Morocco and the risks women face in reporting rape. The stigmatization and categorization of rape victims by Islamic religion and law pose significant challenges, as they prohibit consensual sex outside of marriage. Additionally, the Moroccan Penal Code considers the loss of virginity an aggravating circumstance in rape cases, which could lead to a biased ideology in rape trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides a historical interpretation of sexual violence against women, focusing on rape dynamics and victim-blaming as mechanisms for upholding patriarchal power structures. It explores the evolution of this phenomenon across different cultures and historical periods, with emphasis on its manifestation in Islamic societies. This intersection of traditional customs and religious doctrines has led to misunderstandings that objectify women and result in unfair legal systems contradicting the principles of the Quran [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the Eighth Amendment implications for inmates subjected to sexual victimization in a post-Dobbs world, where abortion restrictions are prevalent. It argues that forced pregnancy resulting from unconstitutional rape violates inmates' Eighth Amendment rights. It explores potential relief through Eighth Amendment claims, considering deliberate indifference to medical needs, conditions of confinement, and excessive force.

The article addresses privacy concerns arising from law enforcement's unconventional use of DNA, notably the San Francisco Police Department's use of a rape victim's DNA for an unrelated case. It explores diverse sources like commercial genetic databases, newborn blood samples, and state biobanks employed by law enforcement. It also discusses practices such as investigative genetic genealogy and DNA dragnets.

This article discusses the representation of sexual violence in Ovid's Metamorphoses and the ways in which Ovid's narratives have been reworked within the contemporary tradition of feminist revisionist mythology. I discuss five different myths from the Metamorphoses (Eurydice, Persephone, Cassandra, Philomela, and Ganymede) side by side with their modern variants in 21st century folk-pop songs by Anaïs Mitchell, Emmy the Great, and Laura Marling. By a comparative reading of the ancient and the contemporary versions of these myths, I scrutinize how narratological elements such as gaze, voice, emotions, and agency are utilized to construct textual subjectivity for the rape victims. Based on this, I argue that, because of its prominent position in the Western imagination, classical myth can become a useful framework for discussing issues that are culturally important and topical in the world of today – such as consent and bodily autonomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the (de)construction of binaries vis-à-vis the verticality of women in domestic and epistemic domains in Nayomi Munaweera's Island of a Thousand Mirrors. In doing so, the study employs Greeta Gaard's concept of naturalization of women and feminization of nature which refer to the process of using binaries as a means to ensure that women remain on a horizontal position in the vertically moving structure of power. Being in a horizontal position, both women and nature are not powerful. Through this theoretical lens, this study explores the reasons of horizontality by investigating the patriarchal thoughts of society that categorize women as aquatic, domestic and wild animals through the use of animalistic language to show their restricted movement. The animalization reflects the subjugation of women in the hands of capitalist man. The study also focuses on feminization of nature which is feminized because of its caring and reproductive attributes. These shared attributes allow patriarchal ideologies to dominate women and nature through oppressive strategies. The discussion on animalization and naturalization underscores the constraints imposed on women and their mobility within sociocultural context. Furthermore, this paper takes into consideration the traumatic experiences, sufferings and exploitation of rape victims and highlights how female characters break the societal sanctions, and resurface in order to move vertically while deconstructing the binaries of male-female, Sinhala-Tamil, and human-nonhuman. The deconstruction of binaries creates an inclusive society without discrimination of the oppressed and the privileged. It also highlights that we need to treat all living creatures equally with compassion. I use Catherine Belsey's method of textual analysis in order to analyze the selected text. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Male rape literature is limited in the UK, with little public attention and limited research about prison officers' perceptions. The aim of the current study was to explore the attitudes and perceptions of prison officers in England and Wales. Two groups of participants were recruited: Group 1 included 24 retired prison officers; group 2 included 17 participants from the general population. A mixed method design was used to gather quantitative and qualitative data. Findings showed that prison officers did not accept societal myths on male rape, although some had negative attitudes towards male rape occurring in prison. Participants from the general population displayed similar results, demonstrating how being a prison officer does not affect beliefs and attitudes of male rape any more than the public. Support strategies for prisoners would further reduce the stigma of raped prisoners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted a population-based survey in 2013 in Kampala, Uganda, to examine violence and mental health outcomes among self-settled male refugees from the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Male DRC refugees aged 18+ years were sampled through respondent-driven sampling. Key interview domains included demographics, experiences of sexual and nonsexual violence, social support, PTSD, depression and suicide ideation. Data analysis was weighted to generate population-level estimates. We sampled 718 men (mean age: 33 years), most of whom had lived in North or South Kivu. Nonsexual violence, such as beatings (79.4%) and torture (63.8%), was frequent. A quarter (26.2%) had been raped; 49.9% of rape victims had been raped on multiple occasions, and 75.7% of rape victims had been gang raped. We estimated 52.8% had post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); 44.4% reported suicidal ideation. Numerous traumas were significantly (p < 0.05) associated with PTSD such as rape (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.82), war-related injuries (aOR = 2.90) or having been exposed to >15 traumas (compared to ≤10; aOR = 6.89). Traumata are frequent experiences in this self-settled male refugee population and are often accompanied by adverse mental health outcomes. Screening for trauma and adverse mental health outcomes and providing targeted services are paramount to improve these refugees' lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article illuminates the life of Constance Mauduit, a twelfth-century Anglo-Norman heiress, patron and rape victim, while problematizing the modern historiography around her. Drawing on feminist theory and gender history, the article recasts her life (and assault) by centring her experiences, elucidating wider social concerns with violent disruptions - actual and metaphorical - to social and spatial hierarchies. Constance's experiences are finally drawn as important beyond this singular life as her rape speaks of sexual violence in warfare in the period, a topic that needs much more study, particularly as medieval records of sexual violence can be difficult to discern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual violence is ubiquitous in the history of human relationships, with the victim being perceived as responsible for their own misfortune. This phenomenon is labelled secondary victimization and is manifested in blaming, minimizing the suffering, and avoiding the victim. This article presents evidence of the validity of a scale that measures individual differences in these three types of secondary victimization of rape victims. In Study 1, we developed the scale items and analyzed their content validity. In Study 2, we carried out an exploratory analysis of its factorial structure and verified the set-up of the items in three theoretically predicted factors (blaming, minimizing the suffering, and avoiding the victim), which had convergent validity with the Rape Myth Acceptance Scale, and discriminant validity with the Big Five Personality Traits, in addition to having concurrent validity with the Belief in a Just World Scale (BJWS). In Study 3, we confirmed this tri-factor structure using confirmatory analysis. In Study 4, we analyzed the predictive validity of the Secondary Victimization Scale (SVS), proposing the hypothesis that secondary victimization mediates the effect of BJWS on the participants' behavior towards a rape victim. The summary of the results shows consistent evidence of the SVS's validity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on victim blame in rape has tended to focus on what characteristics cause more victim blame, and the negative effects of victim blaming for victims. Less research has been conducted on the consequences of victim blame for the individual doing the blaming. The current research tests the hypothesis that women blaming other female victims of rape might consequently engage in risk reduction strategies. Using Bayesian modeling, Study 1 examined if blame predicted heightened risk perception, with the results confirming the hypothesized positive relationship. Study 2 examined if blame predicted the change in the number of risk behaviors exhibited by participants over several weeks, with the results showing that there was not the hypothesized interaction between blame and risk over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: How sexual assault victims conceptualize their experiences are shaped, in part, by adherence to rape myths and victim blaming. Victim blaming is predicated on the idea that victims should have done something differently to prevent sexual assault from happening. To better understand victims' experiences, we documented victim reactions during sexual assault and how victims label and judge the severity of their experience. Methods: We inductively coded 906 US women's open-ended descriptions of sexual assault from a 2016 cross-sectional online survey. Participants were diverse sexual orientations, incomes, and ages but were not racially diverse (78% white). Results: We identified three main themes: Labeling, Judging Severity, and Victim Reactions. Labeling refers to how victims describe their experience—as sexual assault or some other descriptor. Judging Severity captures victims' perceptions of the experience, for example as severe or relative other experiences. Victim Reactions refers to how victims responded during the assault. Conclusions: Normalizing variation in victims' reactions is important especially given that some state statutes define sexual assault in terms of what a "reasonable person" would recognize as a refusal cue. We find that some victims' perceptions of their experience change over time. When judging severity, women mentioned two ends of a continuum (i.e., worst experience of my life vs. not a big deal); both are valid. But, participants' perceptions that sexual assault is a "normal experience" is concerning. Policy Implications: Our findings could inform sexual violence prevention programs, norming campaigns, statute of limitations policies, and criminal justice services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study analyzes the Moroccan online newspapers' headlines talking about rape crimes in Morocco. Different Moroccan online newspapers are dealt with to find out the way victims of rape are represented. By applying Critical Discourse Analysis which draws upon Halliday's transitivity system and naming analysis, the study seeks to probe into the way female victims of rape are depicted in the headlines of Moroccan online newspapers. The study focuses on the way language is used in headlines because it can play a powerful role in shaping public opinion about rape crimes in Morocco. The results show that the headlines of Moroccan online newspapers focus more on the age of both the offenders and the female victims of rape crimes which contributes to depicting them as being helpless and holding no responsibility and creates a horrible visual image in the minds of the readers about the awfulness of the crimes on the other hand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research conducted in the last four decades on rape and other forms of sexual violence shows that they are not only the result of transgression behaviors of some people but have been used as strategic, systemic, and calculated tools of war, ethnic cleansing, and genocide. Examining the nature and effect of wartime rape and sexual violence based on their distinctive features, context, and historical background is essential for research and service providers. This paper explores the lived experiences of sexual violence and gang rape victims during the North Ethiopian war in Amhara Region, Ethiopia. Data were collected from three girls and women survivors using a trauma and socio-culturally informed phenomenological approach. The finding shows that participants experienced a broad and complex range of psychological, physiological, emotional, and relational suffering after the rape. The result also shed light on some risk factors such as lack of awareness of the effect of traumatic events, stigma related to rape, and lacks victim protective legislation risk their journey to healing. The paper further discussed individual and community mental health responses for victims of war rape in culturally responsive and resource-poor settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the history, revisions, and implementation of rape laws in the U.S. Topics discussed include the sexual offense under the U.S. Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) cited in the rape case U.S. v. Coble, the subjective lack of consent of rape survivors and the need to prove the mental state of the defendant, and the definition of aggravated rape according to the Maryland criminal law.

Ana Mendieta's Rape Scene (1973) offers a visceral exploration of sexual, gendered, and racialized violence. Mendieta's re-enactment of the rape of Sarah Ann Ottens, creates a purposefully traumatic, "triggering" scene for her audience to discover. In "returning to the scene of the crime," Mendieta produces a critical methodology that facilitates a more complex interaction with the traumatic aftermath of gendered and racialized violence, one that refuses and questions the paltry validation and legitimization of gendered and racialized violence by the law and legal systems. In this article, I argue that Mendieta's reenactment produces a legal excess, intervening in the juridical distribution of the norm, where the performance disavows the normative, regulative impulses associated with 'law and order' by allowing other, alternative traumatic affects into the room, ones which escape how crime scenes, and the law more broadly, try to regulate the emotional and affective aftermath of gendered and racialized violence. Through the performance's triggering affective surplus, Mendieta draws us towards the site of her own racialized flesh, which, I argue, stages a conversation about the law as a system that both produces and naturalizes the violence that inheres in the gendering and racialization of the body. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Childhood violence victimization is a serious adverse childhood experience with lasting health impacts. This study examined the prevalence and characteristics of five forms of childhood violence victimization and their association with revictimization and negative health conditions among adults. Data are from the 2010–2012 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey. Age at first victimization and perpetrator sex were assessed; adjusted odds ratios assessed associations with revictimization and health. Ages 14–17 were the most common age at first victimization for most violence types; almost half of male (46.7%) and a quarter of female (27.0%) rape victims reported first victimization before age 10. Most victimization was associated with revictimization and negative health, controlling for adult victimization. Primary prevention of childhood violence may reduce later health risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]