No Place is Safe: Sexual Abuse of Children in Rural Bangladesh

Fattah, Kazi Nazrul; Kabir, Zarina Nahar

doi:10.1080/10538712.2013.841310

Cited by 25 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…It is relevant in painting this picture of the lives of girls and women in Bangladesh to draw on the findings on the rape and attempted rape of girls aged less than 18 in a sample of 61 rural wards (average population, about 3000 in each ward) in parts of Bangladesh served by the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) (Fattah and Kabir 2013). Formal complaints to the village administration included 706 reports of rape or attempted rape of a child or adolescent (aged 7 to 17) over a three-year period.…”

Section: The Rape Of Girls and Adolescent Femalesmentioning

confidence: 99%

High Rates of Suicide and Violence in the Lives of Girls and Young Women in Bangladesh: Issues for Feminist Intervention

2017

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Deaths by suicide in Bangladesh have an atypical sex ratio, with higher rates in females than in males-a characteristic shared with several countries in Southern Asia. Reasons for this are explored in this paper. An examination of the social structure of Bangladesh suggests that girls and women are subjected to higher rates of sexual and physical violence compared with males, especially in rural and urban slum areas. This violence is often linked to the enforced marriage of young girls to older men. A systematic review of 24 studies on suicide and suicidal behaviors in Bangladesh has shown that suicide death rates are exceptionally high in younger women, at a rate of about 20 per 100,000, more than twice the rate in males aged less than 49. In girls aged 15 to 17, the estimated suicide rate is 14 per 100,000, 50% higher than in males. Because of problems in obtaining systematic data on deaths by suicide, these rates are likely to be underestimates. Extreme poverty and lack of education have been recorded as factors in deaths by suicide, although there are methodological problems in reaching such conclusions. We speculate that some of the "suicides" (especially those using poison) may in fact be cases of murder. A dowry system (not sanctioned by Islam) is thought to be a major cause of family poverty, and violence experienced by young girls. In proposing solutions, we argue the case (as Muslims) for the support of an Islamic feminism which urges better support for girls growing up in extreme poverty.

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Section: The Rape Of Girls and Adolescent Femalesmentioning

confidence: 99%

High Rates of Suicide and Violence in the Lives of Girls and Young Women in Bangladesh: Issues for Feminist Intervention

2017

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“…The high proportion of CSA is similar to that reported in analyses of newspaper coverage in the USA, Malaysia and the UK (Hove et al, 2013), Malaysia (Niner et al, 2013) and the UK (Davies et al, 2015). CSA, mostly against girls, is probably widespread in Bangladeshi society, but obtaining reliable data in this regard is extremely difficult owing to the culture of shame and social stigma (Fattah and Kabir, 2013). In Bangladesh, social practices emphasise the need to hide any source of shame (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Child Maltreatment Portrayed in Bangladeshi Newspapers

et al. 2020

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As in most low-income countries, there is a lack of scientific information on the incidence and pattern of child maltreatment (CM) in Bangladesh. However, the role of the media to disclose CM and to develop public awareness in society is noteworthy. The present study assessed newspaper reports about CM by type and socio-demographics of victims and perpetrators in Bangladesh. In total, 790 news articles were collected retrospectively from four Bengali-and two English-language newspapers from October to December 2014. Among all reported incidents, almost half of the CM cases concerned alleged physical abuse (26%) and sexual abuse (22%). Neglect and emotional or psychological abuse received less coverage. Female children were to a high degree (90%) victims of sexual abuse. The main perpetrators were males, and they were often known to the victims. Approximately 32 per cent of the reported abuse cases resulted in death and were related to rape, family violence, administrative negligence, abduction and ransom demand. Some of these deaths were suicides. News stories concerning CM were often reported in an unethical way by identifying the victim and not respecting child rights. Further, the stories seldom discussed the individual or social consequences of CM, or how maltreatment could be prevented.

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“…On the contrary, a study on Bangladeshi men’s self-reported accounts of spousal violence found that younger men in the age group of 15 to 29 were more likely than any other age group to commit violence against their wives, and that the number of men who reportedly committed violence against their wives decreased with age (Johnson & Das, 2009). Moreover, in the case of child rape in Bangladesh, a recent study reported that the offenders, all male, are largely concentrated within the 18 to 25 age group (Fattah & Kabir, 2013). It was noted that the IMAGES study reported unmarried men to have the least equitable gender attitudes and beliefs in all six countries, whereas mix results were observed in terms of association of men’s age with their inequitable gender attitudes and beliefs, which significantly varied from country to country (Barker et al, 2011).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This also indicates that having more gender equitable attitudes and beliefs may very well be only one of a number of other factors such as associational life and peers, nature of the existing legal system, and community norms, that determine men’s bystander response. For example, in Bangladesh, the lack of trust in law enforcement agencies, particularly the police, often discourage people in rural areas to seek their support (Fattah & Kabir, 2013). Social norms theory suggests that men’s response to violence or sexually aggressive behavior is partly determined by their perception of the attitudes and behaviors of other men particularly of their peers (Austin, Dardis, Wilson, Gidycz, & Berkowitz, 2016).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gender Norms and Beliefs, and Men’s Violence Against Women in Rural Bangladesh

Fattah

Camellia

2017

J Interpers Violence

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Prevention of violence against women requires understanding men's controlling attitudes and behaviors toward women. In Bangladesh, while the incidence of men's violence against women is alarmingly increasing, existing research to understand the determinants of men's violent behavior resulted in contradictory findings. The current study explores rural Bangladeshi men's support for gender norms, beliefs, and attitudes concerning violence against women, and looks at how these are influenced by men's age, marital status, education, and affiliation with organizations that promote gender equality. The study also attempts to understand men's bystander attitudes and responses to incidents of violence against women. Using the theoretical framework of hegemonic masculinity, the study was conducted among a sample of 1,200 men and women. Results indicate that in the study areas, young, unmarried men are less supportive to gender norms, beliefs, and attitudes that promote violence against women. Positive association was observed with men's educational attainment and affiliation with nongovernmental organization (NGO) interventions. Regardless of age, marital status, or education, men's bystander response toward intervening to prevent violence against women was found to be low. Women showed similar level of support for inequitable gender norms, beliefs, and attitudes. Analysis of the findings using a hegemonic masculinity lens reveals more complicated dynamics of power and hegemonic control at work that perpetuate men's violence against women. Based on the findings, the study also identifies possible strategies for violence prevention interventions in Bangladesh.

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No Place is Safe: Sexual Abuse of Children in Rural Bangladesh

Cited by 25 publications

References 8 publications

High Rates of Suicide and Violence in the Lives of Girls and Young Women in Bangladesh: Issues for Feminist Intervention

High Rates of Suicide and Violence in the Lives of Girls and Young Women in Bangladesh: Issues for Feminist Intervention

Child Maltreatment Portrayed in Bangladeshi Newspapers

Gender Norms and Beliefs, and Men’s Violence Against Women in Rural Bangladesh

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