A violência sexual caracteriza-se como complexo problema de saúde pública, que pode trazer conseqüências físicas e psicológicas para a saúde da pessoa exposta e vitimada. Em situações de risco, a contaminação pelas Doenças Sexualmente Transmissíveis e a gravidez indesejada podem ser prevenidas por meio da terapêutica quimioprofilática e transtornos emocionais podem ser amenizados mediante orientação psicológica precoce. O seguimento ambulatorial em especialidades, indicado pelo período de seis meses, possibilita verificar se houve eficácia na prevenção efetuada e orientar quanto à promoção à saúde. Com o intuito de conhecer algumas características das vítimas e de seus seguimentos ambulatoriais, avaliaram-se 305 prontuários de pessoas atendidas após violência sexual, em Centro de Referência, entre julho de 2003 a junho de 2004. Encontraram-se pessoas com idades até 77 anos e a mediana situou-se em 13 anos. Houve predomínio de vítimas do sexo feminino (89,2%), e as maiores freqüências foram observadas entre solteiras (49,8%), estudantes (47,2%) e com cor de pele branca (57%). Entre os agressores identificáveis, informados em 75,1% dos atendimentos, tiveram maior representatividade o padrasto (n=35) e o pai (n=31). Indicou-se profilaxia para gravidez em 23,9% dos atendimentos, para Doenças Sexualmente Transmissíveis em 29,5% e, para prevenção do vírus HIV, em 27,9%. Entre os seguimentos ambulatoriais, indicados nas especialidades de infectologia (70,8%) e ginecologia (58,8%), verificaram-se 60,4% de retorno em algum tipo de consulta em infectologia e 40,7%, em ginecologia. Seguimentos com psicólogo foram indicados para 98% das vítimas e destas, 23% passaram em algum tipo de retorno. Frente ao exposto, este estudo aponta para a necessidade de ações e políticas que possibilitem e favoreçam os seguimentos em consulta ambulatorial para vítimas de violência sexual, expostas ao risco de conseqüências à saúde física e psicológica. / Sexual violence is considered to be a complex public health problem which can bring either physical or psychological consequences to the health of the exposed and victimized person. In risky situations, the contamination by Sexually Transmitted Diseases and the non desired pregnancy may be prevented through chemoprophylactic therapeutic and emotional disorders may be reduced with early psychological orientation. The outpatient follow up in specialty, indicated for a six month period, makes it possible to check if the prevention was really effective and to orient towards health promotion. Aiming to learn about the victim features and their outpatient follow up, 305 medical charts have been evaluated. All these people had been attended in Reference Center from July 2003 to June 2004, after suffering sexual violence. People’s age went up to 77 years old and the median was 13 years old. Most victims were female (89,2%) and the highest frequency seemed to be among single (49,8%), students (47,2%) and Caucasian (57%). Among the identifiable aggressors, who had been informed in 75,1% of the cases, the stepfather (n=35) and the father (n=31) were the most representative. Prophylaxis for pregnancy (23,9%), for Sexually Transmitted Diseases (29,5%) and for preventing HIV virus (27,9%) were indicated. Among the outpatient follow up, which had been indicated in infectology (70,8%) and gynecology (58,8%), it has been observed that the outpatients who returned for at least some of the medical appointment were 60,4% in infectology and 40,7% in gynecology. Follow up with psychologists was indicated for 98% of the victims and among these, 23% have returned. Therefore , after all these data, this study aims to show the need of actions and policies which may enable and favor outpatient follow up for sexual violence victims who are exposed to risks, both for their physical and psychological health.

In much existing literature the incidence of sexual violence during Hindu-Muslim conflict has been attributed to the militant ideology of Hindu nationalism. This thesis interrogates this view. It first examines the ideological framework laid down by the founding ideologues of the Hindu nationalist movement with respect to sexual violence. I argue that a justification of sexual violence against Muslim women is at the core of their ideology. In order to examine how this ideology has contributed to the actual incidents, this thesis studies the episodes of Hindu-Muslim violence that occurred in 1969, 1985, 1992 and 2002 in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad, Gujarat. An examination of these episodes shows that sexual violence against Muslim women, in both extreme and less extreme forms, were significantly motivated by Hindu nationalist ideology. However, in addition to this ideology, patriarchal ideas that serve to normalize sexual violence as ‘sex’ and sanction its infliction to maintain gendered hierarchies also motivated such crimes. Moreover, this thesis argues that the manifestation of Hindu nationalist and patriarchal motivations in acts of sexual violence was enabled by the breakdown of neighbourhood ties between Hindus and Muslims in 1969 and 2002. By contrast, during the 1985 and 1992 riots Hindus and Muslims strengthened neighbourhood ties despite extensive communal mobilization, which seems to have prevented the perpetration of extreme sexual violence against Muslim women. Thus, by providing a comprehensive analysis of the contribution of Hindu nationalist ideology, and arguing for the significance of the patriarchal ideas and neighbourhood ties in the infliction of sexual violence during conflict, this study contributes to and departs from the existing literature.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-27T14:20:11Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 MELISSA PEREIRA DAVID SOUSA.pdf: 849687 bytes, checksum: 763b1ee114e61d7d3cae500068b1fa13 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-04-15 / O objetivo desta pesquisa é apreender os significados de violência atribuídos por oito mulheres (duas mães, quatro esposas ou companheiras, uma filha e uma irmã) afetivamente envolvidas com autores de violência sexual (AVS) contra crianças e adolescentes. As mulheres participantes da pesquisa não são as vítimas da violência, elas foram indicadas pelos AVS por terem um vinculo afetivo com eles. Os AVS que indicaram essas mulheres eram atendidos pelo Programa Repropondo do Projeto Invertendo a Rota (Proinvert) do Centro de Estudos Pesquisas e Extensão Aldeia Juvenil (Cepaj) do Instituto dom Fernando (IDF) da Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Goiás (PUC Goiás). Tendo como base a psicologia sócio-histórica, e por meio da pesquisa qualitativa, norteada pelo método dialético, esta dissertação buscou, com base nas falas das mulheres, apreender os sentidos que elas atribuíam à violência por eles praticada. Os procedimentos metodológicos foram divididos em três partes: a) Pesquisa bibliográfica no Portal da Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento Pessoal de Nível Superior (capes) período 2000 a 2011, com o intuito de conhecer o panorama da literatura sobre o tema; b) pesquisa documental realizada com o grupo do Proinvert, por meio dos processos que se encontravam no cartório da Penitenciária Odenir Guimarães; os processos foram analisados, e identificados todos os sujeitos que cumpriam pena por violência sexual. Após essa análise, alguns AVS foram convidados para atendimentos psicoterapêuticos oferecidos pelo projeto e os que aceitaram indicaram uma mulher significativa em suas vidas. No total, oito mulheres foram entrevistadas nesta pesquisa. c) Pesquisa empírica, ou seja, as entrevistas semiestruturadas, foram realizadas em dezesseis encontros, dois com cada mulher. Pretendeu-se buscar o diálogo necessário para se entender o fenômeno da violência sexual, retirando a violência do silêncio, dos segredos familiares. As falas, muitas vezes embargada pelo choro, apresentaram-se como um território repleto de contradições. Contudo, por meio delas pôde-se apreender os sentido naturalizados de ser mulher, de educação e de família e como elas internalizaram os papéis sociais e de gênero, atribuídos à mulher ao longo de suas vidas. O cuidado, o acúmulo de funções e a subordinação foram alguns dos sentidos encontrados. A respeito da violência praticada pelos AVS, tanto eles como a maiorias dessas mulheres negam a violência por eles praticada.

Submitted by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2016-09-28T12:06:25Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Tese - Karen Michel Esber - 2016.pdf: 2857216 bytes, checksum: 8690f856c5b23f029e6fd8a1f130e09c (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2016-09-28T12:07:25Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Tese - Karen Michel Esber - 2016.pdf: 2857216 bytes, checksum: 8690f856c5b23f029e6fd8a1f130e09c (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-09-28T12:07:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Tese - Karen Michel Esber - 2016.pdf: 2857216 bytes, checksum: 8690f856c5b23f029e6fd8a1f130e09c (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-03-30 / The main theme of this thesis has its center in the analysis of social representations about the victims of sexual violence in the conception of twenty-six authors of sexual violence (AVS) against children and adolescents, imprisoned in Prison Coronel Odenir Guimarães (POG), in the city of Aparecida Goiânia, State of Goiás, Brasil. The qualitative approach methodology leads the investigative task and the theoretical support searches the knowledge of Social Sciences and the Social Representation Theory, which rise the reflection beyond the individual, considering the conceptual, historical, scientific, media, legal and institutional contexts. The presentation of the interviewees is based on two perspectives: the prison institution, through documentary research in the records of the AVS and the interviewees from sixty-one personal contacts "interviewer-interviewees", mixed by the formal conduct characterized by the filling of the standard questionnaire and dialogues, both purposely targeted the themes: life history, sexualities (for themselves and their victims), children and adolescents, practiced and suffered sexual violence, victims of sexual violence, among others, like the moments of encouragement to free events and narratives of AVS. The result of the interviews showed two constants among AVS, from the empirical field: most categorize people who practice sexual violence as monsters, sick or abnormal and the different facets between denying and assuming the violence. From the perspective of the author of this document, the analysis of the AVS´s social representations about the victims elected three units of meaning: victims and victims of sexual violence, children/adolescents and sexuality (of victims and AVS). The main findings indicate that respondents recognize children and adolescents who experience sexual contact with adults as victims, relation named as a violence and a morally reprehensible act; list harmful consequences of sexual violence for the victims and also for themselves, showing their inseparability; present contradiction between not distinguishing categories as children and adolescents (both represented as biological immature, mental and emotional) and rank crimes from age category; nominate children and adolescents in sexual interaction with adults as innocent, seductive and co-authors, but always victims; show that sexual desire, if any, is directed only to the victims of the violence they committed, and not to other children and adolescents; show crystallization of the role as an author and victim of violence from the gender category; report various negative emotions about themselves in relation to the sexual violence they practiced and the caused consequences in the lives of their victims, such as repentance, disgust, anger, guilt, shame, self-image of monstrosity. Their representations are similar with the three concepts parameters adopted and with those produced and reproduced by common sense, media, law, literature and institutional discourses. The findings shown in this work and the analytical approach used inquire the assertion of part of the international literature on the fact that the AVS fail to recognize the emotional needs of their victims, because they would present empathy deficits toward them, explaining the problem in a strictly intrapsychological bias. Finally, and based on authors of the areas of Social Sciences, appears as necessary the exercise of a new interpretation that links between individual and social experience of AVS to the dominant psychosocial theories, as a contribution to the field of specialized Brazilian studies on the AVS, as well as provide professionals the minimum knowledge to the treatment in the legal field, and treatment in the field of physical and mental health of AVS, in here seen beyond the stereotypes that are charged on them before being on trial. / O tema principal desta tese tem como centro a análise das representações sociais sobre as vítimas de violência sexual na concepção de vinte e seis autores de violência sexual (AVS) contra crianças e adolescentes, encarcerados na Penitenciária Coronel Odenir Guimarães (POG), situada na cidade de Aparecida de Goiânia, Estado de Goiás, Brasil. A metodologia da abordagem qualitativa conduz a tarefa investigativa e o amparo teórico busca os saberes das Ciências Sociais e da Teoria das Representações Sociais, que suscitam a reflexão para além do indivíduo, considerando os contextos conceitual, histórico, científico, midiático, jurídico e institucional. A apresentação dos entrevistados tem como fundamento duas perspectivas: a da instituição prisional, por meio da pesquisa documental nos prontuários dos AVS e a dos entrevistados, a partir de sessenta e um contatos pessoais “entrevistador-entrevistados”, mesclados pela conduta formal caracterizada pelo preenchimento do questionário padrão e pelos diálogos, tanto os propositadamente direcionados aos temas: história de vida, sexualidades (de si próprios e de suas vítimas), crianças e adolescentes, violência sexual praticada e sofrida, vítimas de violência sexual, dentre outros, como os momentos de estímulo às manifestações livres e narrativas dos AVS. O resultado das entrevistas evidenciou duas constantes entre os AVS, a partir do campo empírico: a maioria rotula como monstros, doentes ou anormais as pessoas que praticam violência sexual e as diferentes facetas entre negar e assumir a violência. Sob a ótica da autora deste documento, a análise das representações sociais dos AVS sobre as vítimas de violência sexual elegeu três unidades de significação: vítimas e vítimas de violência sexual, crianças/adolescentes e sexualidade (das vítimas e dos AVS). As principais conclusões indicam que os entrevistados reconhecem crianças e adolescentes que experimentam contato sexual com adultos na condição de vítimas, relação esta nomeada como uma violência e um ato moralmente condenável; elencam consequências maléficas da violência sexual para as vítimas e também para si próprios, evidenciando sua indissociabilidade; apresentam contradição entre não realizar distinção entre as categorias crianças e adolescentes (ambas representadas como imaturas biológica, psíquica e emocionalmente) e hierarquizar crimes a partir da categoria idade; nomeiam crianças e adolescentes em interação sexual com adultos como inocentes, sedutoras e coautoras, mas sempre vítimas; manifestam que o desejo sexual, quando existente, está direcionado apenas às vítimas das violências que cometeram, e não a outras crianças e adolescentes; demonstram cristalização dos lugares de autor e de vítima de violência a partir da categoria gênero; relatam diversas emoções negativas sobre si próprios em relação à violência sexual praticada e às consequências provocadas nas vidas de suas vítimas, tais como arrependimento, nojo, raiva, culpa, vergonha, autoimagem de monstruosidade. Suas representações estão em consonância com os três conceitos parâmetros adotados e com aquelas produzidas e reproduzidas pelo senso comum, mídia, legislação, literatura especializada e discursos institucionais. Os achados evidenciados neste trabalho e a abordagem analítica empregada indagam a asserção de parte da literatura especializada internacional quanto ao fato de que os AVS não conseguem reconhecer as necessidades emocionais de suas vítimas, pois apresentariam déficits de empatia para com elas, explicando o problema sob um viés estritamente intrapsicológico. Finalizando, e com base em autores das áreas das Ciências Sociais, surge como necessário o exercício de uma nova interpretação que vincule entre a experiência individual e social dos AVS às teorias psicossociais dominantes, como forma de contribuir para o campo dos estudos brasileiros especializados sobre os AVS, como também proporcionar aos profissionais da área, a tranquilidade e o conhecimento mínimos para o trato, no campo jurídico, e para o tratamento, no campo da saúde física e mental dos AVS, aqui vistos para além dos estereótipos que lhes são imputados antes mesmo de serem julgados.

No description available.

Targeted sanctions have become increasingly utilized as conflict management tool to safeguard global peace and security. In recent years, there have been a global push to utilize this tool to specifically address conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV). Yet, there is a dearth in research on how the imposition of targeted sanctions effect the prevalence of CRSV. This thesis aims to contribute to this alarmingly understudied relationship between targeted sanctions and CRSV by investigating the following research question: what impact do targeted sanctions have on the perpetration of CRSV by rebel groups? Thus, I employ a structured, focused comparison of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) in Sierra Leone and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in Uganda to test a theoretical theory which argues that targeted sanctions may increase the prevalence of CRSV perpetrated by the targeted rebel group. The empirical findings give partial support to both the proposed hypothesis and the theorized ‘selective incentive’ casual mechanism. However, the findings also suggest less effective sanctions may result in the hypothesized increase in wartime sexual violence perpetrated by the targeted actor, while more effective, debilitating sanctions may a decrease alongside other interventions.

Master of Science / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Sandra M. Stith / Sexual violence, and sexual coercion in particular, is an understudied field, but research is beginning to show that males and females alike are perpetrators of sexual violence. Research has looked at predictors of sexual violence in males, but little research has looked at predictors of sexual violence in females. Similarly, little research has examined predictors of sexual violence in the context of dating relationships; therefore, this study examined predictors of sexual coercion in males and females within dating relationships. Using a sample of 305 male and 363 female undergraduate students’ self-report surveys, hierarchical regression analyses were utilized to test the nature of the sexual coercion predictors. Seven variables (problems with alcohol, past child abuse, anger management skills, relationship satisfaction, acceptability of violence towards wives, acceptability of violence towards husbands, and sexual coercion victimization) served as the independent variables with sexual coercion perpetration as the dependent variables in all of the regression analyses. Using the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS2; Straus, Hamby, Boney-McCoy, & Sugarman, 1996) to assess sexual coercion perpetration, male and female students were found to exhibit a different set of significant predictor variables in the regression analyses; however, sexual coercion victimization was a significant predictor in both data. Sexual coercion victimization predicting sexual coercion perpetration in males and females suggests that sexual coercion is bilateral and part of a systemic cycle of violence. Clinical implications and recommendations for future research are provided.

Many women experience sexual violence, but bisexual women are at particularly high risk for such victimization. Theories attempting to explain women’s risk for sexual violence have focused on numerous risk factors (e.g., childhood abuse, substance use, sexual risk behavior, among others); however, many of these factors have not been explored with sexual minority survivors. The current study used multiple groups path analysis within a structural equation modeling framework in order to test a theory-driven model of victimization risk, first among a general sample of women, and then among subsamples of heterosexual, lesbian, and bisexual women. The prospective model included childhood sexual, physical, and emotional abuse as three separate exogenous variables; sexual risk behavior, alcohol use, and drug use as separate mediators; and a count-based adult sexual victimization score as the outcome. The prospective model was trimmed until it best represented the observed data for the full sample, which saw the inclusion of childhood sexual and physical abuse as the only exogenous variables, sexual risk behavior as the only mediating variable, and adult sexual victimization as the outcome. Sexual risk behavior mediated the relationship between both childhood abuse variables and adult sexual victimization for the general sample of women. However, within the multiple groups model, sexual risk behavior mediated the relationship between childhood physical abuse and adult sexual victimization among bisexual women only. A mediational relationship between childhood sexual abuse and adult sexual victimization via sexual risk behavior approached significance among bisexual women only. A second-stage moderating effect approached significance whereby the relationship between sexual risk behavior and adult victimization was stronger for heterosexual women than for bisexual women. Additionally, the direct effect of childhood sexual abuse on adult sexual victimization was stronger for lesbian women than for bisexual women. Relationships among variables and the novel and unique findings pertaining to bisexual women’s victimization risk are framed as the compounding effect of childhood trauma and social stigmatization of bisexuality. Implications and future directions are described.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this thesis, the South African legal system's attempt to address sexual violence is explored through the lens of the work of the French feminist philosopher, Luce Irigaray. It will be argued that the South African equality jurisprudence lays the foundation for a strongly Irigarayan approach to the transformation of sex and gender relations in so far as our right to equality can be interpreted as being underpinned by an acknowledgment of embodiment, sexual particularity and difference. Our Constitution envisions equality as a value informed by difference rather than sameness and, in accordance with Irigaray’s work, it can be said that the implication of this is that the pursuit of the transformation of sex and gender relations on the one hand, and an acknowledgment of sexual difference on the other, are not mutually exclusive, but that sex equality instead calls for a fundamental recognition of sexual difference and an authentic response to the demands thereof. However, it will be argued that our newly reformed sexual violence legislation undermines the progress made on a constitutional level by entrenching a problematic approach to sexual difference in the definition of the crime of rape. This is done through firstly, defining the crime of rape in gender-neutral terms and secondly, retaining the concept of consent as the distinguishing characteristic between sex and rape. I will argue that through these features, our sexual violence legislation reflects the most basic mistakes that Irigaray identifies with the law. It will be argued that the legislation, on the one hand, denies sexual difference in a way that is prejudicial to women through its gender-neutral language, while at the same time, through the concept of consent, (re-)introducing a hierarchical construction of masculine and feminine sexuality into the Act in terms of which femininity is construed as derivative of, and inferior to, masculinity. Furthermore, the combination of the gender neutrality of the definition and the concept of consent exacerbates the situation, in so far as the gender neutrality masks the harmful construal of sexual difference that is incorporated in the definition through the concept of consent. Accordingly, judged from an Irigarayan perspective, the South African sexual violence legislation is deeply problematic. In addition, the legislation undercuts important constitutional developments, in so far as it ignores the constitutional insights that, firstly, sexual violence is a problem of sex inequality, and that secondly, the pursuit of the transformation of sex and gender relations is served, rather than undercut by a concern with particularities. On this basis, it is argued that the South African sexual violence legislation should be amended so that the concept of consent is removed and the crime of rape is defined in sex-specific language (while still allowing for male victims and female perpetrators) that facilitates judicial understanding of the complexities of the crime of rape. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie tesis sal die Suid-Afrikaanse regsisteem se poging om seksuele geweld aan te spreek, deur die lens van die werk van Luce Irigaray, ‘n Franse feministiese filosoof, ondersoek word. Daar sal geargumenteer word dat die Suid-Afrikaanse gelykheidsjurisprudensie ‘n grondslag vir ‘n sterk Irigarayiese benadering tot die transformasie van geslagsverhoudinge lê, in soverre ons reg op gelykheid geïnterpreteer kan word om in ‘n erkenning van beliggaming, seksuele spesifiekheid en verskil (“difference”) begrond te wees. Ons Grondwet stel gelykheid as ‘n waarde wat deur verskil eerder as eenvormigheid geïnformeer is, voor oë, en in lyn met die werk van Irigaray, kan daar gesê word dat die implikasie hiervan is dat die nastrewing van die transformasie van geslagsverhoudinge aan die een kant, en die erkenning van geslagsonderskeid (“sexual difference”) aan die ander, nie wedersyds uitsluitlik is nie, maar dat geslagsgelykheid eerder juis ‘n fundamentele erkenning van geslagsonderskeid en ‘n outentieke reaksie op die eise daarvan, noop. Daar sal egter geargumenteer word dat ons nuuthervormde wetgewing oor seksuele geweld die vordering wat op ‘n grondwetlike vlak gemaak is, ondermyn deur ‘n problematiese benadering tot geslagsonderskeid in die definisie van die misdaad van verkragting te verskans. Dit word bewerkstellig deur eerstens, die misdaad van verkragting in geslagsneutrale taal te formuleer, en tweedens, om die begrip van toestemming as onderskeidende kenmerk tussen seks en verkragting, te behou. Ek sal argumenteer dat dit deur hierdie eienskappe is, wat ons wetgewing oor seksuele geweld die mees basiese probleme wat Irigaray in die reg identifiseer, weerspieël. Daar sal voorgehou word dat die wetgewing, aan die een kant, deur die geslagsneutrale taal, geslagsonderskeid ontken op ‘n manier wat vrouens benadeel, terwyl dit terselfdertyd, deur die begrip van toestemming, ‘n hiërargiese verhouding tussen die manlike en die vroulike in die wetgewing daarstel, in terme waarvan die vroulike as derivatief en minderwaardig tot die manlike verstaan word. Verder, die situasie word deur die kombinasie van die geslagsneutraliteit van die definisie en die begrip van toetsemming, vererger deurdat die geslagsneutraliteit van die taal die skadelike vertolking van geslagonderskeid wat deur die begrip van toestemming in die definisie ingesluit word, verberg. Dus, vanuit ‘n Irigarayiese perspektief is die Suid-Afrikaanse wetgewing oor seksuele geweld diep problematies. Verder, die wetgewing ondermyn belangrike grondwetlike ontwikkelinge in soverre dit die volgende grondwetlike insigte ignoreer: eerstens, dat seksuele geweld ‘n probleem van geslagsongelykheid is en tweedens, dat die strewe na transformasie van geslagsverhoudinge gedien, eerder as ondermyn word deur ‘n besorgdheid met die partikuliere. Op hierdie gronde word daar geargumenteer dat die Suid-Afrikaanse wetgewing oor seksuele geweld gewysig behoort te word, deur die begrip van toestemming te verwyder en die misdaad te definieer in geslagspesifieke taal (op ‘n manier waardeur manlike slagoffers en vroulike oortreders steeds ingesluit word) wat geregtiglike begrip van die kompleksiteite van die misdaad van verkragting bemiddel.

This article seeks to uncover the historical trajectory of the notion of women as repositories of male honor in Indian society and whether there has been a change in the discourse. Through a historically oriented comparative study of two case studies it draws attention to the fact that this perception of women has made them extremely susceptible to sexual attacks from members of opposing communities. At the time of Partition India witnessed large scale religion-based rapes where men of one religion attempted to assert their dominance over another religious community by raping the women of that community. Today the use of rape as a means of power assertion is still prevalent but now it is upper caste men who are seeking to assert their dominance over lower caste communities.This article believes that a combination of legal and social dilemmas is the cause of this discourse that works against the safety of women.