Study Finds 1 in 4 Men in South Africa Admits to Having Raped

A new study by the Medical Research Council on rape in South Africa reveals that one in four men in South Africa may have raped someone--with most of those attacking more than one victim. Before the critics come out of the woodwork arguing that this is hyperbolic research, be clear, the methodologies were sound; the MRC spoke to 1,738 men in KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape provinces.

There are so many disturbing data points as part of this research, but I think rather than talking about how completely horrifying the facts are, it's important to focus on WHY this is happening. It's easy to read these kinds of statistics and throw up our hands as if there is nothing we can do in the face of such atrocity. Instead, we need to support the feminists in South Africa who are obviously well-aware of this issue and doing everything they can to change the culture of violence.

It's clear that many of the men who admitted to raping women had done so multiple times. This makes it even more critical that focus be put, not only on prevention and cultural shifts, but on prosecution. The legal system in South Africa must support women to come forward about their sexual assault experiences so they can help prevent other women from facing the same fate.

Professor Rachel Jewkes of the MRC, who carried out the research, told the BBC's World Today:

The absolute imperative is we have to change the underlying social attitudes that in a way have created a norm that coercing women into sex is on some level acceptable. And it's partly rooted in our incredibly disturbed past and the way that South African men over the centuries have been socialised into forms of masculinity that are predicated on the idea of being strong and tough and the use of force to assert dominance and control over women, as well as other men.

http://www.feministing.com/archives/016191.html

I realize there are a lot of problems in this world, but why doesn't this get more attention?

But seriously...

Since the "Feed the World"/Live Aid outpouring that went on in the mid-1980's, Americans just do not pay any attention to Africa in a humanitarian capacity.

that if you have sex with a virgin it will cure your aids. even small girls were getting attacked. :(

Ignorance is not necessarily a passive evil.

Because it says rape, but then it says coercion.

Apparently the MRC describes coercion as "sexual coercion by men involved abuse of trust and age-related power, temptation through material goods, as well as use of aggression."

...is sexually abused before the age of 18. Repeated studies validate that number.

The only difference between the US and South Africa--is that for some reason--the men
in South Africa admit that they have committed these horrible offenses.

Because we in the "western world" will quickly dismiss it by saying we are just as bad. So in effect, because we have criminals here, nothing should be done there. Just forget the whole thing and move on. Such a productive attitude, but people would prefer it to actually having to criticize some other part of the world. That just wouldn't be open minded, the appearance of which is more important to people than any harm done to a bunch of women. :mad:

decent living conditions for the bulk of the population. Then the rape will change into dating, where it may be consensual, and better standards will be the norm.

If you want to see what desperate situations can do to people read, "Fatal Shore".

Unfortunately, SA started off in 1994 on not the best paths, following Thatcherism. Hopefully, Zuma can trend more toward helping people rather than following free market policies above all else.

That's for sure.

But even under poor conditions I cannot excuse men becomming monsters. Too many excuses are made for men abusing women, there is always an excuse from "it's their religion" to "they've had a hard life". It is time for no excuses here and in other countries.

I get disgusted with the excuses we make for men doing what they want to women right here in the US, where there are supposed to be laws and the ever touted "freedom", which ends up being BS for some women who are born into the wrong economic situation or the wrong religion, then it's tough luck for her right here.