Monday 12th August - Friday 16th August 2002
Prague, Czech Republic

Session 6: Sexual Assault, Violence and the Abuse of Women

Nomi Rotbard - Sexual Assault
Division of Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York

Sexual assault is a pervasive form of violence. It is also a public health issue of great import on both an individual and a systemic level. At the individual level, sexual assault has physical as well as profound emotional effects. At a systemic level, it draws heavily on health care systems' resources because of the ongoing needs of survivors for the myriad services to treat the emotional and physical ailments that result both directly and indirectly from sexual assault. The scope of this project included several elements. A data analysis of sexual assault survivors in the United States was performed using the 1997 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. Variables included individual demographics as well as those detailing care received by sexual assault survivors. These variables were examined in order to determine where a lack of care or a lower standard of care was indicated and whether or not there was a bias in care received. The results of the data analysis were then placed in context according to current literature on sexual assault and the long term effects of assault on survivors. Finally, general conclusions were drawn about the quality of care provided to survivors in United States' emergency departments and recommendations were made for an appropriate standard of care.

Anna Sklepova - Sexual Violence
Institute of International Relations, Kyiv Taras Shevchenko National University
Department: International Economic Relations

There is an increase in the number of women who have become the victims of sexual violence : sexually motivated murders, enforced prostitution, sexual harassment at work, trade in 'live goods', etc. The victims do not always report what has happened, and there are two main reasons for hiding it. The first is psychological (subjective), since rape is a serious trauma with life-long consequences for women and the way they relate to those around them. Medical or instructional courses are being organised for women, and clubs and associations are being set up. The second reasons are objective, namely the lack of experience or specialised services to provide the necessary support, coupled with the situation in the courts, which are unable to defend women. Sexual violence can occur when the victim's dependence or defencelessness is used to force intimate contact. More and more often, girls and young women can only get jobs depending on whether or not they agree to provide various sexual services. If a person forces a woman who is materially or professionally dependent on them into sexual contact so as to satisfy perverted sexual desires, they are liable to criminal punishment by the criminal law code. A new and as yet unstudied type of violence against women is the trade in women for prostitution. Meanwhile the use of women in international 'live goods' trading networks for prostitution has become one of the areas in which organised crime has been directing its efforts. Whereas previously, the majority of women sold on the sexual services market came from developing countries of Asia and Africa, nowadays the majority of them come from former socialist countries, CIS countries, and the Baltic states. The trade in women has become one of the most widespread forms of illegal immigration into the countries of Western Europe. In many cases, women who arrive or have been brought over from their home countries are sold to brothel owners. Their documents are taken away from them, they are often locked up and subject to physical violence if they try to escape. As a rule, they live in isolation and do not know the local language. In addition to this, their position as illegal immigrants prevents them from turning to the authorities.

Mpho Tshesane - A South African Criminologist’s on Selected Aspects of the Abuse of Women
Department of Criminology, University of South Africa

Women abuse is characterized inter alia by the difference in socialization between men and women. The socialization process is generally internalised during childhood wherein men are trained to be strong and women submissive and practiced throughout life. Men are from childhood trained to separate aspects such as sexual desire from caring, respecting, liking or loving. Women are on the other hand socially conditioned to be passive, submissive and dependent. The conditioning more often than not leads to emotional and economic dependence of women upon men.

Furthermore, in most cultures women are taught to adhere to their husbands’ dominance to show respect. Husbands assault their wives in the name of culture and tradition. Cultural perceptions such as aggressiveness, male dominance and female subordination are cherished in Western society. Physical force is often used to enforce male dominance.

Women abuse is further enhanced by the fear that women are not economically independent. Self blame forms part of the female culture that plays a significant role in women abuse. It encourages men to exercise control over women.

Due to their socialisation processes some men still believe that they are heads of families. Patriarchy still prevails in most families and contributes to physical, sexual, economical and emotional abuse of women. Women are still controlled by men irrespective of their employment status.

Lack of resources such as shelter, food and safety are in most cases a disadvantage to most women who want to escape from their abusers. This lack of resources therefore leads to women worrying about not having roofs on their heads and what to eat when they leave their abusers. All these are factors contributing to the general abuse of women.

The results of an empirical study comprising of all criminology lecturers in South African Universities will be presented at the conference through the use of Corel Presentations.

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