Question

discuss the social and /or structural determinants contributing to sexual assault

Answer 1

On a global scale, women living in low- and middle-income countries experience higher levels of sexual and reproductive health morbidity and mortality than women living in wealthier countries, and many developing countries continue to struggle with high population growth rates. While fertility rates in less-developed countries are declining, the rates women experience in more-developed countries remain nearly double (at 2.9 versus 1.6 births per woman).

Victimization of sexual assault during adolescence is associated with a host of adverse outcomes including poor academic performance, behavioral risk, pregnancy, substance abuse and interpersonal problems. Adolescents who are sexually exploited are often more likely to suffer from a variety of psychopathologies, including depression, PTSD, anger management disorders, poor self-esteem, eating disordered behaviour, and suicidality, relative to their untreated peers. Research also suggests alarmingly that adolescent victims of sexual assault are at higher risk of future victimization and sexual violence than adolescents who have not been sexually assaulted

These features include primary education for husbands, employment as drivers, alcohol consumption, and having multiple sex partners. Women's exposure to household income often raises their chances of witnessing sexual harassment by nearly twofold; however, if they are solely responsible for "all" household income, it is found that the relationship is secure. Physical violence changes the determinants of sexual violence, and among women who do not experience physical violence, primary education and employment for husbands as drivers increases women's chances of experiencing nearly threefold sexual violence, and women who contribute "all" household income do not experience sexual violence.

Being pregnant or a new mother, higher education for women, their level of familiarity at the time of marriage with husbands, having a supportive husband, and having a higher standard of living were inversely associated with the risk of unwanted sex. In summary, these studies found several individuals, relationships, households and contextual factors associated with sexual violence (or types of sexual violence) and some differences in the direction of associations between selected factors and sexual violence compared to physical violence.