Frequency, Types, and Manifestations of Partner Sexual Violence, Non-Partner Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment: A Population Study in Spain

Abstract

Background: This study analyzes the frequency and sociodemographic characteristics associated with sexual violence by a partner/ex-partner (PSV), someone other than a partner or ex-partner (NPSV), or sexual harassment (SH). Methods: The study is based on the 2019 Macro-survey of Violence against Women conducted by the Spanish Ministry of Equality among a sample of 9568 women age 16 or more years. Odds Ratios were calculated and multinomial logistic regression analyses were performed. Results: Forty-four women had suffered some kind of sexual violence over their lifetime, 9.2% had experienced PSV, 6.5% NPSV and 40.4% SH. More than 7% of women had been raped by a partner and 2.2% by another man. In the three groups, violence was associated with lower age and having a certified disability. NPSV and SH were significantly associated with a higher education and internet use. In NPSV, 9.2% of cases were reported to the police and 3.9% were reported to the courts. In SH, 91.7% of women told a family member or a close friend and 4.2% reported it to the police or the courts. Conclusions: A greater emphasis needs to be placed on reporting sexual violence in its various forms. Rape within intimate partnerships ought to be investigated and studied in greater depth.

Relationship between Sexual Violence and the Health of Spanish Women—A National Population-Based Study

“…All of this, together with their unfavourable sociodemographic situation, would justify identifying these women as a particularly vulnerable group who suffer from a form of violence that will probably be continuous and prolonged. In such cases, the lack of financial stability, a social network, or information and knowledge about SV play an important role as factors that lead these women to not report their experiences or end the relationship [ 33 , 40 ].…”

“…When SV is analysed separately from other types of violence (such as physical or psychological violence), social determinants are uncovered that differ from those identified in the existing literature on gender violence overall [ 33 ]. For this reason, it is appropriate to distinguish between the different forms of SV (PSV, NPSV and SH) and examine the social determinants related to each one of these forms.…”

The exposition of rape in Cyprus: From the crime scene to the court room

“…In fact, the majority of reported rapes (70.7%) are committed by people known to the victim (e.g., domestic and acquaintance rapes), occurring in a dwelling, with most victims suffering no physical harms from the attack (Waterhouse et al, 2016: 5). Indeed (as recorded by a study in Spain), stranger rapes are often outnumbered by intimate rapes (Pastor-Moreno et al, 2022). This resonates with rapes in the US that are reported to be perpetuated by intimate partners (34%), by a relative or family member (6%), or by a friend or an acquaintance (38%) (BJS, 2016).…”

Sex Differences in Sexual Motivation in Humans and Other Mammals: The Role of Conscious and Unconscious Processes

“…The proportion of sexual encounters leading to orgasm is far higher in men than in women [189,190], whereas far more women than men experience pain during penile-vaginal intercourse [191,192]. Women are victims of sexual violence far more frequently than men [193,194], and fear of putting oneself in a potentially dangerous situation may restrain women's desire to have sex with unknown or little-known men [195,196]. Moreover, prior experience with sexual violence reduces sexual motivation [197].…”