Survey Finds Quarter of Men in Six Asia-Pacific Countries Have Committed Rape

Around one in four men from six Asia-Pacific countries admit to have committed at least one rape, a new survey published in The Lancet reveals. The researchers surveyed over 10,000 men from six Asia Pacific countries, including China, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Papua New Guinea. While the word ‘rape’ was not used, the participants were asked whether they had forced sex on a woman or had forced sex on women who were too drugged or drunk to consent.

The researchers found that more than 11 percent of the men admitted having forced sex with a woman who was not a partner and when intimate partner violence (IPV) was taken into account, the number rose to 24 percent. The researchers also found that men who had many sexual partners, had a history of violence, suffered child abuse or who paid for sex were more likely to commit rape than others.

Lead researcher Dr Emma Fulu said that in majority of cases where rape is committed, the men had a sense of ‘sexual entitlement’. “They believed they had the right to have sex with the woman regardless of consent. The second most common motivation reported was to rape as a form of entertainment, so for fun or because they were bored. Perhaps surprisingly, the least common motivation was alcohol”, Dr Fulu said.

Source-Medindia