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Framing Sexual Violence Prevention

What Does It Mean to Challenge a Rape Culture?

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Preventing Sexual Violence

Abstract

The startling findings across various country and multi-country studies on sexual violence unequivocally point to what the World Health Organization (WHO, 2013, p.2) describes as a ‘pervasive […] global public health problem of epidemic proportions’. In the first study of aggregated global and regional prevalence estimates for intimate partner and non-intimate partner sexual violence, the WHO (2013) found that overall 35 per cent of women worldwide reported having experienced either physical or sexual violence by a partner, or sexual violence by a friend, family member, acquaintance or stranger. Police data consistently show that while men report experiencing more physical, nonsexual violence than women, women continue to represent the majority of victims of sexual violence, while perpetrators are overwhelmingly, although not exclusively, male. Young women continue to be at highest risk of experiencing sexual violence, and most likely at the hands of a known man, such as a boyfriend, friend or acquaintance, rather than at the hands of a stranger (for prevalence studies, see, for example, ABS, 2006; 2013; Basile et al., 2007; Black et al, 2011; Fulu et al., 2013; Heenan & Murray, 2006; Mouzos & Makkai, 2004; Office for National Statistics (UK), 2013).

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Authors
  1. Anastasia Powell
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  2. Nicola Henry
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Politics, Philosophy and Legal Studies, La Trobe University, Australia

    Nicola Henry (Senior Lecturer) (Senior Lecturer)

  2. RMIT University Melbourne, Australia

    Anastasia Powell (Lecturer in Justice & Legal Studies) (Lecturer in Justice & Legal Studies)

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© 2014 Anastasia Powell and Nicola Henry

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Powell, A., Henry, N. (2014). Framing Sexual Violence Prevention. In: Henry, N., Powell, A. (eds) Preventing Sexual Violence. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137356192_1

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