Lecture two: Sexual Violence

Question 1

What is sexual violence?

Answer 1

Sexual violence is any unwanted sexual acts or activity

–> Gender neutral

Question 2

What does it mean to call sexual violence co-dependent?

Answer 2

• The legal definition of sexual violence varies over time and place
• The age of consent also varies over time and place

Question 3

What is the legislation surrounding sexual violence against Children and Young people?

Answer 3

• It is an offence to have any sexual activity with a person under the age of 16
• The law gives extra protection to children under the age of 13 and provides protection to young people who are over the age of the consent but under 18
• Legislation: underage sexual activity- and up to adulthood sexual activity, should always be seen as a possible indicator of child sexual exploitation or abuse

Question 4

What is Child sexual abuse?

Answer 4

Child Sexual Abuse is when a child or young person is forced, or enticed, to take part in sexual activities

Question 5

What is sexual exploitation?

Answer 5

Child sexual exploitation is a type of child abuse. It happens when a young person is encouraged, or forced to take part in sexual activity in exchange for something.

Question 6

How has technology affected sexual violent crimes?

Answer 6

It has introduced a range of sexual violent crimes eg. sexting, grooming, indecent images of children

Question 7

Who are the Victims of Child Sexual Assault?

Answer 7

• Girls are more likely to experience CSA than boys

The Radford (2011) study found that for all age groups (under 11s; 11-17; 18-24) girls were more likely to have experienced sexual abuse than boys.

Question 7

Who are the Perpetrators of Child Sexual Abuse?

Answer 7

Ranford et al (2011)

• ⅔ of these said the contact sexual abuse was perpetrated by other children or young people under 18
• 0.7% reported sexual abuse by an adult
• 80% of these were abused by an adult they knew
• 75% male
• all backgrounds and ethnicity
• Range in age

Question 7

What does it mean to consent?

Answer 7

Sexual offences Act now states that a person consents to sexual activity, ‘if they agree by choice, and have the freedom and capacity to make that choice’

Question 8

What are some examples of crimes which are a consequence of Technology?

Answer 8

1. Online Sexual harassment
2. Image-based sexual abuse
3. Tech-faciliated sexual assault

Question 8

What is the biological towards Child and Adult sexual violence?

Answer 8

Lombroso: argued that the criminal mind was inherited and could be identified by physical features and defects.

Argue that some individuals are predisposed to crime because of genetic, hormonal, or neurological factors that may be inherited (present at birth) OR acquired (through accident/ illness/ trauma).

Question 9

What is the sociological theories towards Adult and Child sexual violence?

Answer 9

Focus on social contexts, societal norms and people’s attitudes. Sexual violence as a learned behaviour.

Sociological approaches suggest that crime is shaped by factors external to the individual: their experiences within the neighbourhood, the peer group, and the family.

Question 10

What is the Feminist theory towards child and adult sexual violence?

Answer 10

Focus on structural inequalities between men and women and how this may impact crime or society (eg. sexual violence as a result of patriachal society that supports violence)

–> learned hegemonic masculinity

Question 11

What is the Psychological explanation towards child and adult sexual violence?

Answer 11

Perpetrators have less self-control, abnormal personality traits

Psychopathy is a clinical concept, describing an individual’s lack of empathy, antisocial behaviour, and inability to control the behaviour.

Sex offenders have higher prevalence of personality disorders, compared to offenders of other crimes. Those with adult victims have higher prevalence of antisocial personality disorder, compared to those with child victims

Question 12

What is the Psycho-social explanation for child and adult sexual assault

Answer 12

The cycle of CSA: Where victims become offenders

• Psychological effects of Adverse Childhood experiences eg. traumatic events that occur in childhood

CSA as a learnt behaviour:
- Development and repetition of sex offenders through being sexually abused as a child
- The learning of sexual aggression
- Victims normalise their own experience of abuse and repeat what they have learned.

Question 13

What are the limitations of the Cycle of abuse?

Answer 13

• Why is the cycle of abuse different for girls and boys?
  
• Male victims = perpetrators
  
• Female victims are at 2-13 times increased risk of sexual violence victimization in adulthood
  
• Male victims more often direct their reactions externally, whereas female victims are more likely to internalise feelings and express them in self-destructive behaviour
  
• Why are male victims of CSA more likely to abuse girls/ women?

Question 14

Advantages of the Feminist approach for CSA and ASA

Answer 14

• Explain the gender effect: Sexual Violence perpetrated against women
• CSA and the Cycle of Abuse - When boys are abused by a male offender, confusion and anxiety over their sexual identity may lead to “inappropriate attempts to reassert masculinity, including sexual aggression against others

Question 15

Limitations of the feminist approach to explain CSA and ASA

Answer 15

• Can it fully explain all types of sexual violence?
  
• Heternormative - assumptions of female victim, male perpetrator
  
• It can contribute to the invisibility of certain victims (e.g. male victims, LGBT+ victims)