Sexual Violence and Rape

Abstract

Rape and sexual violence have been an issue of concern for society since the 1970s when the feminist movement highlighted this as a criminological, social, and human rights issue. What has followed has been a restructuring of views on the position of women: from sexually belonging to their husbands to being independent people in their own right, a large number of new offenses being acknowledged, and changes over the years to encompass shifts in attitudes, beliefs, and advances in technology. The vast majority of victims are female and perpetrators are male. Sexual violence is an international crime, occurring all over the world across race, gender, age, religion, and socioeconomic groups. It is also very common, with the World Health Organization estimating that one in three women will be sexually victimized at some point in their life. Criminal justice systems' responses to rape and sexual violence are poor.