Discuss cultural differences in sexual norms as they relate to coercive behaviors.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

War-torn or conflict-ridden countries typically have much higher rates of sexual violence. Countries with huge poverty and income differences also tend to have more violence and more rape than others, due to the lack of stability and a culture of victimization in such places. Societies vary greatly in their tolerance of sexual aggression, and when it comes to rape, they also vary with regard to enforcement and prosecution of offenders.
Culture influences not only the context but also whether people actually talk about sexual coercion crimes or report them to the authorities. In a society that silences discussion of rape, the shame may be so great that the crime is actually hidden or covered up, especially by the family.
In many war-prone societies or those with military regimes, such as Vietnam in 1960-1970, Bosnia-Herzegovina in the 1990s, or in Central Africa today, women, children, and men who have been raped fear stigma, retaliation such as subsequent rape, or even murder, if they speak out about their experience. Having to keep rape a secret thus implies the extent to which a society takes victims' reports seriously. When sex is connected to daily survival and conditions like violence or war, it is not surprising that the most vulnerable members of society will suffer.