THERE IS NO HUSHING UP

The first survey aiming to reveal public attitude toward the issue of sexual violence and its victims was conducted in our city.

The survey involved 506 people including 328 (65 percent) women and 178 (35 percent) men. Two thirds of the respondents were youth under 20. Emphasis was deliberately placed on high school and university students as these age groups are more often exposed to sexual violence. In terms of marital status, more than two thirds of the respondents were single.

As it was expected, the bulk of the respondents (97 percent) revealed their negative attitude to sexual violence, and pity or compassion for victims. 10 respondents proved indifferent to the issue while another 5 (including 4 women) showed their positive attitude towards sexual violence.

Two thirds of the interviewed believe that those suffering violent assaults fall victim to circumstances. Every fifth women and nearly every second men, however, think that victims themselves invite trouble by their gaudy clothes, careless manners, drinking, smoking, etc. Some of the respondents chose both variants, thinking that sometimes it is victims’ fault and sometimes it is circumstances.

The majority of the respondents (67 percent of females and 52 percent of males) provided a concrete example of sexual violence. Most of the victims were girls and women – acquaintances, friends, and relatives of the respondents. This lends support to our assumption that girls and women are most likely to become exposed to sexual violence. Yet there were also male victims (3 percent) – an acquaintance, relative, friend.

Two thirds of the victims were raped, or forced to oral or anal sex. 6 cases of incest were revealed.

The examples given by the respondents also comprise a few cases excluding physical contact;

Staircases and streets are habitual scenes of sex offences. As much dangerous are transport, flats (of a rapist as well as of a victim), schools and universities(!), and – which is becoming commonplace at present – workplace. The victims were mainly aged 15 to 20, the second age group was 10 to 15, the third – 20 to 25. Where relatives were involved, the respondents (70 percent of females and 57 percent of males) blamed the circumstances, yet every tenth women and every fifth man were positive that the victims themselves provoked sexual violence.

A few respondents (51 percent of women and 6.2 percent of men) admitted they might have become victims of sexual assault. Their self-confidence and physical strength helped to cope with the assaulter. In some cases friends or strangers, as they heard cries for help, came to the rescue.

However, some failed to avoid violence. 7 percent of the interviewed (all females) who had suffered physical and mental cruelty chose the variant “nothing helped”.

In most cases rape was attempted in the street, on the staircase, in a rapist’s flat, in the elevator, in a victim’s friends’ flat, mainly at night, although every tenth rape was attempted in the daytime. The number of female victims is 5 times that of male. At night this difference rises to 10 times.

As it appears, there is an acute lack of public trust in the police as only one person answering the question “What/Who helped you prevent violence?” chose the variant “police”. The statistics provided by Russia’s crisis centers show that only 3 percent of rape victims apply to the police. The rest prefer to have nothing to do with the police for fear of publicity and humiliating trial procedures. Some are afraid of being victimized by relatives and friends of the rapist. All of them thus have to deal with their trouble on their own.

Why does it happen? The traditional attitude toward victims is utterly prejudiced and puts the blame on victims themselves. Very often such an attitude is shown by those who

are supposed to provide medical, legal, or moral assistance to victims. Consequently, our society is confronted with an ever-increasing layer, enormous as it is, of unrecorded and thus unpunished crimes.

Adult city residents who have children are concerned about their security. Only 5 percent of the interviewed parents are confident that their children will be able to defend themselves in case of danger. About one fifth of the respondents do not rule out that their children may fall victim to sexual violence.

If violence did occur, about half of the interviewed (59 percent of women and 48 percent of men) would apply to the police for the offender to be punished. One fifth of the respondents chose the variant “would ask my friends for help”. The state’s failure to take vigorous action to protect its citizens makes them resort to self-defense or, what’s worse, to mob law. 16 percent of the respondents (9 percent of females and 29 percent of males) chose the variant “would revenge”.

A rapist, however, is not necessarily a stranger; there are a few cases of marital rape on record. The respondents were asked the question “What is your attitude to husbands raping their wives?”. Almost three quarters, that is, 80 percent of women and 63 percent of men (percentage of the total number of the respondents) agreed that “spouses should have sex by mutual consent”.

About a quarter of the respondents (30 percent of women and 20 percent of men) believe that a husband-rapist must be punished in any case and his wife should seek legal protection. The rest think it is a family affair (7 percent of women and 14 percent of men), or say there exists no marital rape (2.5 percent of females and 12 percent of males). About 3 percent of the interviewed females could stand being raped by their husband, while 61 percent would not put up with it.

Even if we try to side with those who think that it is rape victims who provoke rapists, we are sure that no criminal can be justified by his victim’s flippancy.

Before taking a dig at another victim of sexual violence, imagine that tomorrow someone of your kith and kin or you yourself may face the same trouble.

A time has long come for all to say their decisive “no” to sexual crimes, instead of staying aloof like tacit accomplices in violence raging day by day in our city.

The survey was prepared and conducted by student Irina Romanenko, Department of Practical Psychology Interdisciplinary Training and Research Center Moscow Assisted by WPA Femina and the Institute of Management

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