Sexual violence in Russia: Figures and facts. How can I help survivors of sexual assault right now? Undefined or undefined personal boundaries
We have probably already come to terms with the fact that violence is inevitable and it threatens each of us, regardless of gender, age, skin color or hair. Dealing with this is incredibly difficult, but still possible. And the main weapon in this battle is information: adequate, correct, accurate. The myths and speculations that surround this area of our lives only work to the advantage of rapists, so we will try to dispel the remaining misconceptions.
If this happened
* Get to a safe place.
* Contact the police immediately.
* Preserve the possibility of carrying out the examination: do not wash, do not change clothes.
*Go to an emergency room.
*Contact the victim support center.
Myth: Rape is rare.
Reality: Every hour in the United States, 71 women are raped. In Russia, such statistics are not yet kept, but according to preliminary data, this figure is much higher.
Myth: People rape only at night and in dark alleys...
Reality: Rape can happen ANYWHERE. Any time of the day or night. At home, on the street, in public places, at work (more than 5,000 women were subjected to violence in the workplace).
Myth: If violence is unavoidable, relax and enjoy it.
Reality: Rape is an event with few comparable negative consequences. About a third of all victims of sexual violence are subject to post-traumatic syndrome throughout their lives and will not be able to have a normal sex life or find a family. Many simply commit suicide.
Myth: Only strangers can rape.
Reality: More than half of victims knew their rapists well. About 20-30% attack from around the corner.
Myth: If the victim did not resist, she did not mind.
Reality: It does not matter whether the victim had the opportunity to fight or not. Many victims are too scared and shocked to resist. Even if the rapist does not threaten with a weapon or use overt force, it still qualifies as rape. Such force may include alcohol, weapons, intimidation, or emotional blackmail. Any violence against a person without his consent is rape.
Myth: A husband cannot rape his wife.
Reality: Most women who are victims of sexual violence were raped by their own husbands. The fact that you are married does not give your spouse the right to demand sex from you against your will.
Myth: A woman cannot rape a woman.
Reality: This happens and is called “korophilia” (from the Greek koros - girl, doll) - a type of lesbianism with a selective attraction to girls. Mockery and humiliation of their victims, sophisticated torture and sexual abuse - all these are symptoms of a terrible disease called corophilia. The defenselessness, physical and psychological weakness of the victims provoke female cowbirds to various kinds of cruelty, which very often end in murder. Criminal perversion, in which a female criminal achieves orgasm by performing a male role in a violent act, usually occurs in even more brutal forms than male rape, and is aimed at very young girls.
Myth: If a man rapes his fellow man, then he is gay...
Reality: Not really. The most important misconception is that men in “ordinary” life are not raped. This can supposedly happen only if a man finds himself in conditions of isolation, for example in a prison, where there are no women - accordingly, the only possible object of violence in such conditions is a man. This is wrong. Men rape men for the same reasons they rape women - for the feeling of undivided power or to vent anger. They are not looking for sexual gratification. In most cases of male rape, neither the victim nor the rapist is homosexual. Among rapists, only 7% are gay, the rest are heterosexual.
Myth: All rapists are necessarily mentally ill.
Reality: In many other areas of life, their behavior is no different from other people. They may well be married, have a professional career, have and raise children. Of course, rape is by no means a normal form of behavior. Anyone who commits this type of crime is burdened with serious psychological or other problems.
Myth: Rapists choose their future victims in advance.
Reality: Most rapists select their victims at random, without targeting a specific type. For example, they do not, as a rule, try to choose a victim who is most attractive to them or dressed provocatively. Instead, they are more likely to choose a crime situation that will give them the opportunity to get away with it.
Hello to all those who are now on the pages of the adventure project “On the Edge”! Just recently I wanted to watch a movie, something interesting before going to bed. I have watched quite a few films in my adult life, and yes, I can say there are some that are worthwhile.
But this time I became interested in the topic of films that can make your heart beat faster. The kind that can tickle your nerves. Typed in the search: "The toughest films about violence" and began my search. I, like all people, look not only at the description of the film, I pay attention to its cast, and also read reviews. This is my favorite activity. It’s so interesting to read conflicting opinions... Some people evaluate a film by comparing it with others, while for others, what they see for themselves is enough. In any case, I watch movies, even if there are negative reviews. After all, there are so many people, so many opinions.
My top best pictures about violence and unjustified cruelty
Top 10 best films about violence, started with the film “Martyrs”
I have heard a lot about this film, especially since it was released back in 2008. But I still never got around to watching it. But the time came, and I sat down with a bucket of popcorn and started watching. Now there will be my criticism of this tape. First, let me bring you up to date...
Around the beginning of the 1970s, on one of the French roads, a little girl named Lucy is found wandering in splendid isolation. The girl was considered missing; they searched for her for about a year, but she was never found. Of course, everyone wanted to know what happened to the little girl, the entire public and media are thirsty for the truth, but the little girl is so shocked that she can’t tell anything.
Law enforcement officers begin their investigation and manage to immediately find the place where something terrible happened. The place where Lucy spent the last year of her life is an old abandoned slaughterhouse.
A medical examination was carried out, which showed that the girl was not subject to violence, which means that she was not stolen by a pedophile. And this confuses the investigation even more, because the girl was very thin and had abrasions and wounds, bloody stains. What is clear is that the girl did not leave the old slaughterhouse throughout the year, but the question is, how did the girl get out of there? And what she had to endure is a mystery that remains to be revealed. There may be people living next to us who are doing terrible things, and we don’t even know it. What kind of taiga does this story keep...
The film, produced in Canada and France, was shot in 2008, directed by Pascal Laugier, duration 99 minutes.
In my opinion the film is not very eventful. I wouldn't dare watch it a second time. I'm not one of the people who likes gray and bloody films. Constantly beating, some strange movements, cutting and everything like that. It is difficult not only to understand, but also to perceive. Not a dynamic or bright film. I will classify it as a one-off film.
Going through the list below, I noticed the movie “Snuff 102”
The first thing I thought of was tobacco (tobacco leaf ground into powder), but then I realized that this was clearly something else. Snuffs are short videos with real scenes of violence. Terrible things, but they decided to make a movie about it. This film was filmed in 2007, directed by Mariano Peralta, duration 100 minutes (in vain, as practice has shown).
The plot simply killed me mentally; to be honest, I didn’t even think that something like this could be filmed. I wanted to see something scary, but not so bad that it would become bad. The storyline of this film is amazing.
At the very beginning of the film, the viewer is shown shocking real scenes of violence. Horrible small videos where girls aged 23-26 years (most likely prostitutes) are killed. The murder process itself, most often, involves suffocation with bags or stockings. The young journalist decided to conduct her own investigation.
She begins to collect various facts, and also communicates with those who make such films, trying to understand what the essence of this Snuff is. The film itself is a constant series of violent scenes. One video is replaced by another (color/black and white). The words of one film critic are striking to the core: Do you know how much a child costs? Yes, it has its price. But the interesting thing is that the film on which this child is abused, raped, killed is much more expensive. Where does all this come from?
Very strange scenes of violence, where first they cut off fingers, put a knife in the nose, knock out teeth with a hammer, and end with suffocation using a bag. Victims are assigned a number, and the number 102 already says something. The tape contains videos of violence in black and white and color. The black and white footage shows how the poor victims got into this mess. Three unfortunate people, one of them is a pregnant drug addict, the second and the third are a journalist. In color footage we see how the rapist carries out the act of violence itself.
The journalist becomes the target of a rapist and murderer, and a chase begins after her. He achieves his goal - the journalist is caught. He prepares for brutal violence, but the girl manages to hit the rapist's head with a stone, and she begins to brutally beat the killer with his own machete. By nightfall, the journalist gets out of the scary forest, covered in blood, exhausted, and on the way she is picked up by a fast ambulance.”
An interesting film only if you read what it's about. But the way it was filmed leaves much to be desired. These documentary footage of the murder are, well, too cruel. The film really blows your mind, I would say breaks it. Scary, tough film. Not even scary, but unpleasant, but at the same time it keeps the viewer glued to the screen. I don't think I'll ever want to watch it again.
Once was enough for me not to sleep later
His cruelty is off the charts. If you think about it this way, then in reality someone is making videos that clearly demonstrate scenes of violence. People with weak psyches are not advised to watch such a movie. Basically its storyline is 1 out of 10 as it is a standard primitive movie. There is a maniac, there is a real victim, and there are former victims. And one skillful and strong girl decides everything. Well, standard, would you agree? But this picture caught my attention because the director is trying to convey a certain philosophy.
Quote from a film critic who said that the price of films with violence is many times higher than the price of just a video with a child. It is interesting that after the premiere of this film, in one of the American cities, the director was beaten by disgruntled spectators. And really, there’s nothing to applaud for. Agree, no one was the director of Titanic or Independence Day.
If you compare these two films, it’s difficult to say which one is better, but I’ll do it. Press me and I will tell you that, perhaps, the first film about the girl Lucy is a little more humane. At the very least, this is the author’s sick fantasy, and here you can warn yourself in advance that this is just a film that takes place. And the second film, featuring action-packed scenes of violence, can really blow your mind.
Movies that make your brain shrink in horror
I didn’t stop there and decided to look at the ranking of the scariest films. If you have already started to tickle your nerves, then you need to bring the matter to the end.
And so, I came across these films:
"Flowers". Horror and Thriller
Despite the fact that the title is not scary at all, the film has scenes of violence, and very cruel ones at that. Yes, I do not advise children and pregnant women to watch such a picture. I won’t fill you in on what it’s about, but believe me, I myself didn’t expect that something like this could be filmed in principle;
"Murder in pieces." 2004 film.
Filmed in . Yes, this film is full of cruelty, scenes of violence and shocking images. Two sisters, the eldest is dating a rich photographer who turned out to be a Nazi maniac. And it’s not in vain that you should listen to the advice of your sister and brothers. In essence, the film is not that scary, but there are moments that really raised the hairs on end;
"Serbian film" It just completely killed me, I didn’t even finish watching it. Not a movie, but continuous scenes of debauchery and violence, I think most of the people who tried to watch it didn’t even understand what it was about, and I myself didn’t really understand it at first, and then I completely turned off this nightmare. If Serbia really is such a country as they tried to show us in this film, then you shouldn’t go there. It doesn’t occur to me where one can get so much dirt and aggression; it’s not even a matter of the imagination of the director and screenwriter. You can simply say that the film is depraved, strange, and looking at it you feel complete disgust. In general, I don’t recommend watching such films.
Also in the list of films about violence, I came across two parts of the film “I Spit on Your Graves”, “I Spit on Your Graves-2”.
I wouldn’t say that the movie is too scary, but I watched these two films with great joy. More precisely, not joy, but sort of pleasure. No, you shouldn’t say that either. I looked at it with ease. The idea here is that a girl who was raped by guys begins to take revenge on them. And she does it with maximum rigidity. I don’t know if there is any point in watching such films again, but of all the films that can blow your mind and tickle your nerves, this is perhaps the most tolerable.
"Salo, or 120 days of Sodom." This is not a movie, this is a scandal
I don’t even know how to overcome what happened in the film, my hands just can’t type it, and my tongue won’t dare say it. There are a lot of scary scenes in the film that you should completely ignore. it’s not for nothing that in all the world ratings of scary and banned films, it is in 1st or 2nd place;
The tape is old, but I can’t understand what people were thinking when they filmed this. I understand that cinema should offer the viewer different genres, but this. I was left in shock;
"Mysterious Skin" Not everyone has a bright and interesting childhood.
Here the main character experienced terrible moments. One day the boy woke up in the cellar with a nosebleed, and he didn’t know what was wrong. Events unfold quickly and it turns out he was raped by his trainer. The boy’s fate is not very easy, not very pleasant. You can watch;
"High-rise Man"
There are three parts of this film, real horrors. There are many explicit scenes that are not always watchable. All three parts are worthy, despite the fact that they are motor-driven;
"Hostel"
Another picture that can tickle your nerves. I recommend it. This is one of the films that you can watch without turning away from the monitor;
"What would you do"
There are no such serious scenes of violence in this film, but for some reason it is on the list of the most scary and motor-driven films about violence. In my opinion, it’s a simple, not very complicated work, so you can watch it too.
This list can be continued endlessly. It’s interesting that every year some directors of the new generation, who see the world in their own way, offer new films. And those who have already managed to snatch their Oscar can also offer the viewer a film with scenes of violence.
Rape in cinema
When it comes to rape in cinema, the first thing that comes to mind is the film directed by Gaspar Noe “Irreversible”. This film was filmed in 2002, starring Monica Bellucci and Vincent Cassel. The main thing about this drama is that it is shot backwards. That is, the events will be shown in reverse order. I will not specifically talk about the plot of the thriller here. I can only say one thing - you will either turn it off after 15 minutes of viewing, or you will watch it like an obsessed person even after the masterpiece scene with the rape of one of the most beautiful women in the world.
Taste and color...
In my opinion, cinema offers people something that they will “eat”, that is, films about violence have a place. It’s not clear what controls people are not the moments when they turn on such a movie. Such tapes can make a person angry, and in some cases even break their psyche. When I was looking for such films, I was simply wondering what was wrong with them that they were even banned. For myself, I realized that this is not mine.
Watching films where a woman is raped, where she is killed with a bag or stocking, clearly will not evoke positive emotions. For me, a film is something that lifts your spirits, or, on the contrary, touches the untouched strings of the soul. Sometimes I watch films filled with philosophical meaning, or films of a psychological nature. In any case, films are an art that should be respected, and if a person decides to make horrors that break the brain and simply drive you crazy, then this also has a certain purpose and meaning. Maybe in this way they want to convey to the masses that this cannot be done. So that after looking at this, the viewer understands that it is not very beautiful and not at all impressive.
But for myself, I decided that I’d rather watch a detective story, or, especially if I do it before bed. And if it’s still early to sleep, then you can take a look, which I recently sketched out, and choose something to your taste.
I hope this article was useful to you, dear readers! Subscribe to and share articles on social networks. See you later!
Text— Agent Q.
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A social relationship in which some individuals (groups of people), with the help of external coercion, which poses a threat to life up to its destruction, subjugate others, their abilities, productive forces, property; usurpation... ... Philosophical Encyclopedia
Violence- Violence ♦ Violence Excessive use of force. Sometimes it is necessary (moderation is not always possible), but it is never good. Always regrettable, but not always expected. The opposite of violence is gentleness (not... Sponville's Philosophical Dictionary
Physical or mental impact of one person on another, violating the right of citizens to personal integrity (in the physical and spiritual sense). Physical VIOLENCE is expressed in a direct impact on the human body: applying... Financial Dictionary
Rape, pressure, coercion, coercion, reprisals, coercive measures, despotism, tyranny. There is no outside pressure. Put pressure on someone.. Wed. . See self-will... Dictionary of Russian synonyms and similar expressions. under. ed. N.... ... Synonym dictionary
VIOLENCE, violence, cf. 1. Using physical force on someone. Traces of violence on the body. 2. The use of force, forcing something on someone. “The dictatorship of the proletariat is a revolutionary power based on violence against... ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary
Outrage! ... Wikipedia
See SOCIAL VIOLENCE... The latest philosophical dictionary
Physical or mental influence of one person on another, violating the right of citizens to personal integrity guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation. Physical N. is expressed in a direct impact on the human body: beatings,... ... Legal dictionary
1) the use by a certain social group of various forms of coercion in relation to other groups in order to acquire or maintain economic and political dominance, to gain certain privileges. The ruling classes and others... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
VIOLENCE, I, Wed. 1. Application of physical force to anyone. An act of violence. Traces of violence on the body. 2. Forced influence on anyone, violation of personal integrity. N. over personality. 3. Oppression, lawlessness (book). Arbitrariness and n.... ... Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary
English violence; German Gezualt. The use of force or various kinds of threats in relation to certain social networks. subjects or their property for the purpose of intimidation and coercion to certain actions. Antinazi. Encyclopedia of Sociology, 2009 ... Encyclopedia of Sociology
Books
- Violence. ru, Dym Alexander. Can you imagine the feelings of a person who finds himself alone in front of an angry crowd?
- Have you ever spat your teeth into your palm?
All the stories have one thing in common: everything happened in crowded places, where houses and apartments are located nearby; in most cases, people suspected something, but did not dare to tell the police.
Recently, 52-year-old Aloisio Francesco Rosario Giordano was arrested in Italy. accused of kidnapping and assaulting a 29-year-old woman .
An Italian kept a Romanian woman in a basement for ten years. He tortured her, raped her and forced her to bear him two children.
After his release from prison, Giordano returned home to care for his ailing wife and two children, enlisting the help of a 19-year-old Romanian woman to become his victim.
When Henri's wife died, he offered his assistant support as a guardian and a place to stay - and then locked her in the basement. The woman spent the next 10 years there.
The victim was permanently chained to a metal rod in a dirty room full of rats and insects, without water or electricity. She said that she was constantly beaten, tortured and raped repeatedly.
During this time, she gave birth to Giordano two children: a nine-year-old boy and a three-year-old girl. The children were forced to watch as Giordano abused their mother.
Police found wounds all over the woman's body, including her chest and crotch, many of which were "treated" by Giordano himself. He sewed up some deep wounds with fishing wire.
After the high-profile incident, the Italian public was outraged: for so many years the woman could not be found, although this happened next to other houses and apartments.
TSN.ua collected the most resonant stories of people who were kidnapped, raped and brutally beaten.
Kharkov maniac
On June 29, 2017, in the Kharkov region, a man who killed a 17-year-old girl was convicted. In addition, the criminal moved into someone else's house, robbed a store and a neighboring dacha.
The Chuguev City Court of the Kharkov region found a 38-year-old resident of the village guilty. Rubizhne was charged with several articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine and sentenced to 12 years in prison.
“The prosecutor’s office proved in court that on New Year’s Eve, a Kharkov man stole a minor girl from the street. He approached her from behind, put a knife to her throat and forced her to go with him. The man led the girl to one of the country houses where he temporarily lived without the knowledge of the owners. The kidnapper held his victim in a cold and damp room with her hands and feet tied, and repeatedly raped the girl. On January 4, the girl managed to escape,” the prosecutor’s office said.
During the investigation, it was established that on the eve of the theft, the attacker used an ax to knock out the lock in one of the country houses, where he settled. In addition, that same evening he robbed a village store. The man entered the store through the window and took out fan heaters, a slow cooker, laundry, hygiene products, food, sweets, cigarettes, and more. The total amount stolen was more than 4 thousand hryvnia.
The next night, an intruder robbed a neighboring country house. His prey was a television and radio. The thief lived at someone else's dacha from December 24, 2015 to January 4, 2016.
The man was found guilty of kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment, rape of a minor, illegal entry into a home and theft with penetration, committed repeatedly (part 2 of article 146, part 3 of article 152, part 1 of article 162, part 3 Art. 185 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
Parental violence
In Brazil, police officers tied to a bed during a raid in Sao Paulo.
Law enforcement officials said that 36-year-old Armando di Andrade spent 20 years in captivity with his father and stepmother. When police found the Brazilian, he had overgrown fingernails and toenails and a beard down to his knees. He was very exhausted. The room he was in had no windows or artificial lighting, and the entire floor was covered in feces.
Police Chief Celso Marchiori said that when Andrade was found, he did not say a word, he could not even immediately understand that they were law enforcement officers.
"We don't know if he was scared or under the influence of drugs. We called for help and he was immediately hospitalized. It's hard to believe he spent 20 years there. It's an extremely unsanitary place, he wouldn't have survived. There's no light at all." , - noted Marchiori.
It is noted that Andrade disappeared when he was still 16 years old. He grew up as an ordinary guy, fond of skateboarding and playing the guitar.
The police began an investigation. The husband's father and stepmother have not yet been arrested, but they were forced to leave their home due to aggression from angry neighbors.
Cleveland Maniac
When one of the victims, Amanda Berry, gave birth to her daughter in December, the baby was not breathing. Ariel Castro, the child's biological father, called Michelle and threatened to kill her if he did not save the girl. Michelle gave the child artificial respiration, and she came to life. According to Michelle, Amanda became pregnant several times as a result of the rapes, and then Castro starved and beat her, causing miscarriages. The surviving girl was raised by three women.
“I cried every night. Days turned into nights, nights into days. These years have become an eternity. He said that my family is not looking for me,” said the young woman with tears in her eyes. According to her, only a close friendship with the youngest of the captives, Gina de Jesus, prevented her from going crazy in such terrible conditions.
Castro denied the allegations of torture and beating of the girls, as well as the facts of rape, admitting only that he was holding captives against their will.
“They want to make me out to be a monster. I’m not a monster, I’m sick,” he said.
The criminal was arrested in May 2013 after one of the abductees, Amanda Berry, managed to break down the door and call for help. The rapist's neighbors repeatedly reported to the police that not everything was going smoothly in the house, but they were not taken seriously.
The court sentenced the “Cleveland Maniac” to life imprisonment and another 1 thousand years in prison without the possibility of parole. In September 2013, he was found hanged in his prison cell.
Zaporozhye rapist
In February 2017, a maniac was detained in Zaporozhye, who held captive and raped two minor girls.
“The investigator of the Dnieper police department of the Main Directorate of the National Police in the Zaporozhye region opened criminal proceedings on the grounds of a crime under Part 3 of Article 153 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine,” the regional National Police said in a statement.
The article provides for 8 to 12 years of imprisonment. The rapist was detained in accordance with Art. 208 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of Ukraine and reported suspicion of committing the mentioned crimes. The pre-trial investigation is ongoing.
Maniac father
In the Austrian town of Amstetten, in the basement of the house of local resident Joseph Fritzl, his own daughter Elisabeth lived for 24 years, whom he regularly abused.
The maniac's wife did not even suspect that someone was living in the walled-up basement. The woman believed her husband, who said that their daughter ran away with sectarians and only occasionally gets in touch.
On April 10, a round table was held at the Moscow City Hall“New legislative initiatives to address the problem of domestic violence”, where ways to solve one of the serious problems of our society were discussed. We went to a round table and also asked experts about what domestic violence really is, where it comes from and how to fight it at the public and state levels. In the next article we will talk about what to do if this problem directly affects you or someone you know.
For assistance in preparing the material and consultation, the editors would like to thank the director of the independent charity center for helping survivors of sexual violence “Sisters” Maria Mokhova, specialists from the national center for violence prevention “ANNA” and Natalia Khodyreva, candidate of psychological sciences and founder of the St. Petersburg crisis center for women “INGO”.
Text: Maria Servetnik, Olga Strakhovskaya
What's happened
"domestic violence"?
There are several options for naming the problem: “domestic violence”, “family” or “partner violence”. The phrase itself implies that this violence occurs between people in a personal relationship - spouses or partners, sometimes ex-partners and not necessarily living together, regardless of whether the couple is heterosexual or homosexual. It is very important to distinguish between family conflict, which is one-time in nature, and partner violence - regularly recurring or increasing incidents that follow a certain pattern.
A conflict, no matter how acute it may be, moves into the category of domestic violence only when it occurs in the same way at least twice. The fundamental difference is that family conflict is local, isolated and arises from a specific problem, which is theoretically possible to resolve, for example, with the help of a psychologist or lawyer. Simply put, conflict has a beginning and an end. Partner violence is a system of behavior of one family member towards another, which is based on power and control. It has no specific reason, other than the fact that one of the partners seeks to control the behavior and feelings of the other and suppress him as a person on different levels.
What types of home
Does violence exist?
Domestic violence in society is generally understood to be primarily physical violence, aka assault. Indeed, this is one of the most common types of domestic violence: according to the ANNA crisis center, every third Russian woman is beaten by her husband or partner. Physical violence includes not only beatings, but also restraint, strangulation, infliction of burns and other methods of causing bodily harm, including murder. However, there are other types of domestic violence: sexual, psychological and economic.
Sexual Domestic violence is coercion into sexual activity through force, blackmail or threats. According to studies conducted in Russia in 1996 and 2000, approximately every fourth Russian woman is forced by her husband to have sexual relations against their will. This is directly related to the idea of sex as a “marital duty” that a woman must perform regardless of her desire, and the general idea of the dynamics of sexual relationships in which the woman “gives” and the man “takes.” Psychological violence is systematic insults, blackmail, threats, manipulation. A subset of this is violence involving children, ranging from using children as hostages to threatening to harm children if a partner does not comply. Economic- this is the deprivation of one of the partners of financial freedom, from concealing income to situations in which one partner completely takes the salary of the other and does not allow him to participate in financial decisions. The problem is that physical or sexual violence can be proven and are crimes, but economic and psychological violence are not. It is not uncommon for one partner to use all types of violence at the same time.
Why is it considered
what about domestic violence?
Are women mostly affected?
The types of violence that can be identified (i.e., physical and sexual) mainly affect women. According to statistics from the Ministry of Internal Affairs for 2013, women make up 91.6% of victims of violent crimes against their spouse. “Among the victims of violence from spouses or partners, the number of women exceeds the number of men by approximately 9 times. Women suffer 8 times more serious bodily and other injuries from their partners than men. Male violence most often has a practical purpose or an expressive one (expression of emotions). Women are more likely to resort to physical violence when they feel backed into a corner and are desperate to prevent further abuse. It is extremely rare that violence from women is systematic, purposeful, and constant,” explains Natalia Khodyreva.
On the other hand, women are more prone to methods of emotional and economic violence. For example, a wife may strive to control all spending in the family and systematically humiliate her husband because of low earnings. However, a woman can also be a physical aggressor, for example, towards children. A hierarchy of power may arise in the family, where the man is the strongest, abuses power and uses violence, and women, in turn, use it against children.
Is there a connection between
domestic violence and financial
and the social level of the family?
There is an opinion that only dysfunctional families are susceptible to domestic violence, while wealthy and educated couples do not have this problem. This is wrong. According to data conducted by the Moscow State University Women's Council, 61.6% of dysfunctional families and 38.4% of prosperous families face domestic violence. At the same time, in families with low income and a low level of education, problems are more often associated with alcoholism and the use of physical violence. In families with high level education, but those with low incomes are more likely to experience economic and psychological violence (sophisticated psychological manipulation and so on). Domestic violence in high-income families is most often physical and sexual.
The point is also that in dysfunctional families the problem of violence is more noticeable, since these families may be visited by social workers or guardianship, for example, because of the child’s behavior. Domestic homicides of a partner also occur more often in marginalized families, for which the “drinking - quarreling - knife” pattern is eerily typical. Similar stories penetrate the press and become material for reporting, with photographs, names, and private stories. It is impossible to get into the “status” layers in this way: until it comes to brutal reprisals or murder, no one suspects anything.
What are the reasons
domestic violence?
The main and most dangerous misconception that exists in society regarding the problem of domestic violence is that the reason lies in the actions of the injured partner, and that the rapist was “provoked.” This automatically raises the erroneous question “for what?” and the tendency to seek justification for the aggressor. It is necessary to remember that there is no and cannot be a behavioral reason for systematic violence - only the rapist’s tendency to aggression and the manifestation of his power over his partner is to blame.
This tendency directly depends on upbringing and the pattern of family relationships that a person “inherited” by observing the relationships of his parents, as well as on the attitudes that prevail in society as a whole, and in particular in the environment of the couple. For example, the likelihood of domestic violence increases if a woman and her friends prefer not to discuss the topic of violence or seek help, and if the husband and his friends do not condemn the use of force. The problem is rooted both in the taboo nature of the topic of domestic violence and in the patriarchal nature of Russian culture, enshrined even at the level of “folk wisdom” and traditional values: “A man is the head of everything,” “Let a wife fear her husband.” The family economy is also structured in such a way that with the birth of children, a woman often falls into a state of dependence on who brings money into the house.
“The idea that a woman “gets into trouble” is, unfortunately, common among many of my psychologist colleagues,” notes Natalia Khodyreva. According to her, Russian society is characterized by a militaristic consciousness - it is believed that any disobedience must be punished with physical punishment or shouting. Therefore, rapists are not inclined to see problems in their behavior.
How is domestic violence different?
from anyone else and why does this problem need a special approach?
First, in cases of domestic violence, the injured partner is in constant contact with the abuser and is often economically dependent on him. You don’t have to see the person who hit you on the street every day and sleep in the same room. In a situation of domestic violence, victims often do not have the opportunity to find housing, and constantly communicating with the abuser means being subjected to violence again. Women in unhealthy relationships are also put under pressure by social stereotypes that prevent them from breaking off relations with the rapist: “children need a father,” “don’t destroy the family.” Another dangerous misconception that follows from the tradition of blaming the victim is the illusion that if a woman or man behaves “better” and finds an approach to their partner, then the violence against them will stop.
There are also psychological factors - after a long relationship with constant pressure, threats, often beatings, everyday Stockholm syndrome develops. As a psychological defense, the victim begins to believe that the aggressor will take pity if he unconditionally fulfills his demands, and tries to justify his actions by building an emotional connection with him.
How is the problem of domestic violence
Is it decided at the legislative level?
Unfortunately, at the moment there is no special law on domestic violence in Russia. Most often, articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation are applied to situations of domestic violence: 111 (“Intentional infliction of grievous harm to health”), 112 (“Intentional infliction of moderate harm to health”), 115 (“Intentional infliction of slight harm to health”) 116 (“Battery”) and 119 (“Threat of killing or causing grievous bodily harm”). According to a study conducted by the ANNA Center, under current legislation it is very difficult to prove cases of domestic violence, even physical violence. The problem is compounded by the fact that victims are often not interested in bringing a case against their partner, especially if they feel that there is still an opportunity to save the family. People turn to the police because they want to stop the violence “in the moment,” in the hope that it will never happen again.
But even if the injured partner is ready to follow through, obstacles arise. Cases under Articles 115 and 116 relate to cases of private prosecution, that is, criminal prosecution is initiated not by the prosecutor on behalf of the state, but by the victim herself or her representatives. “The victim must act as the prosecution herself - collect evidence, order an examination, collect testimony from witnesses, and so on. Meanwhile, in reality, a woman is often unable to even submit an application without the support of a lawyer - it is not accepted the first time. And if the case comes to court, they try to reconcile her with the rapist, and instead of protection, the woman receives a new circle of violence,” noted Alexey Parshin, a lawyer at the Moscow Bar Association and a member of the working group for the development of the bill “On the prevention and prevention of domestic violence.” , at a round table dedicated to discussing the bill.
In addition, in Russian legislation there is no concept of a protective order - a court order that prohibits or limits the contact of the rapist with the victim. It turns out that a person who has been subjected to domestic violence is most likely defenseless on all sides.
What do they do
crisis centers?
Victims need psychological rehabilitation programs, social housing, protection programs in case of high risks of death threats, compensation for damage, programs for children who witness domestic violence. Now in Russia there are state and non-profit organizations involved in helping victims of domestic violence, but there are very few of them - of all social institutions, less than 0.5% deal with this problem. At the same time, social institutions are being “optimized,” shelters and emergency telephone lines are being closed. Most government agencies can only provide assistance to people who have registration in the desired city or region, while victims without registration are more likely to have nowhere to go. You can get to the hospital of the Moscow “Crisis Center for Assistance to Women and Children” only with a referral from social protection. As a result, victims find themselves without state protection at the most difficult moment - immediately after an act of violence. In this situation, you can apply for asylum only to non-state crisis centers.
For men, who are most often the initiators of violence, there are preventive programs around the world. Within their framework, boys and young men are explained what consent to sexual contact is, respect for women and girls, what actions are violent and why. Psychocorrection courses are conducted for adult male aggressors. In Russia there is only one such course - the voluntary program “Alternative to Violence”, which is conducted by “Men of the 21st Century”.
How to improve
situation in Russia?
This is a long-term systematic work, which includes both the introduction of the relevant law and its implementation, as well as the education of specialists and the entire society. Work is needed to improve the quality of life, aimed at the safety and health of citizens. It is important to remove the taboo from the very topic of domestic violence, to explain to victims that they are not to blame and should not be ashamed of being bullied. Publicity will help gradually change public opinion, which is especially important in a situation where the legal system is unable to adequately respond to cases of domestic violence.
At the moment, a bill on the prevention of domestic violence has been developed, which is being considered by the Russian government. It involves the transfer of all private prosecution cases to private-public prosecution, the introduction of preventive registration, preventive conversations, protective orders and judicial protective orders, as well as specialized programs for both survivors of violence and rapists. The offender, in particular, will be asked to leave the place of joint residence, regardless of who owns it, to transfer personal belongings and property to the injured partner if they were withheld, and to pay the costs of treatment, counseling and housing if the victim moves out.
The bill does not propose any separate special punishment for domestic abusers - all liability is provided in accordance with the articles, for example, on causing bodily harm. It is fundamentally important that this bill empowers local police officers to respond to and record all cases of domestic violence in their area, as well as conduct preventive conversations with the abuser after the first signal of violence. It must be brought to the attention of the rapist that after the second signal administrative liability will begin, and after the third he will be considered a repeat offender. As Maria Mokhova emphasizes, the state is obliged to bring to the attention of its citizens that this is not “my wife: I want to love, I want to kill,” but this is a person and a member of society and using violence against him is prohibited and punishable.
What is the situation
in other countries?
Currently, 89 states have some kind of legislative provisions directly aimed at combating domestic violence, and a number of countries (USA, Australia) also have special articles relating to marital rape. Some States have passed comprehensive laws on violence against women, providing a range of legal protections. Some former Soviet republics - Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Georgia - have also already adopted laws aimed at combating domestic violence.
In the United States, where the system for combating and preventing domestic violence is highly developed, approximately three thousand women die a year. In Russia, this figure is three to four times higher, despite the fact that Russia’s population is half as large. International legal practice is to be guided primarily by the nature of the acts of violence, rather than by the relationship between the perpetrator and the victim. Moreover, domestic violence from the husband poses a serious threat to the life and health of a woman, since she is often forced to live with him even after a divorce or during the investigation.
The main elements of assistance to those faced with domestic violence, which are absent or poorly developed in Russia, but are actively used and developed in the world: protective orders, crisis and rehabilitation centers and social shelters in which survivors of violence can spend the night and get food. In a number of countries, unlike Russia, there is also a mechanism of a protective order, when the warring parties first of all separate from each other in order to save people’s lives. In our country, on the contrary, there is a practice of reconciling the parties in court. As Maria Mokhova notes, “in Russia, on average, they break away from the rapist seven times - they leave and return. It can take longer."
