ABSTRACT
Background: In the past twenty years, the fight against sexual violence has become a common goal of the entire European Union, due to a greater socio-cultural awareness of the population and the need to create guidelines for common action. Italian Law no. 66 of February 15, 1996 regarding the “Rules against sexual violence” which, with the appropriate amendments, is still in force today, defines 3 types of sexual offenses through the articles 609 of the Penal Code.
Design and Methods: This study analyzes the cases relating to one of the hospitals in Northern Italy, during the decade January 2010 – December 2019, relating to suspected/reported cases of sexual violence, group sexual violence and sexual acts with minors. This study was carried out by acquiring information relating to subjects who had been victims of a sexual crime through the analysis of the consultations drawn up by specialist medical staff in the submentioned hospital. These consultations are defined by specific medical protocols that must be activated every time a victim of a suspected sexual offense comes into the Emergency Room (ER). The data were processed with descriptive analyzes, the qualitative variables were synthesized with absolute and percentage frequencies, while the quantitative variables with mean and interpolation of the data, to identify a trend line. In order to hypothesize the possible future trend of the phenomenon, data were collected relating to the type of crime according to the Penal Code, gender and age of the victim. This article also outlines future directions for improving research.
Results: Our data show that females, of any age, are the most affected in all sexual crimes, often share home with their aggressor, usually a man, and in most cases, they come to the medical observation without any lesion on their body.
Conclusions: In order to provide a global vision of the situation and of the diffusion throughout the territory, studies like this one could be carried out in various Italian provinces. Besides, we hope that the high degree of commitment on the part of society and institutions in combating sexual violence, through information campaigns and incitements to report, will lead in a few years to a reduction in the number of victims of repeated violence (especially in family contexts) and, consequently, also in the total number of acts of violence that comes to the attention of the healthcare facilities. Finally, primary prevention of sexual violence must begin early because a substantial portion is experienced at a young age. It will be necessary to prevent these forms of violence with strategies that address known risk factors for perpetration (e.g., low family support, high poverty, low parental education, absent or single parenting, parental substance abuse, domestic violence, low caregiver warmth), by changing social norms and behaviors and by identifying protective factors that could be strengthened
REFERENCES
Dartnall E, Jewkes R. Sexual violence against women: The scope of the problem. Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol 2013;27:3-13. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpobgyn.2012.08.002
Bows H. Sexual violence against older people: a review of the empirical literature. Trauma Violence Abuse 2018;19:567-83. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1524838016683455
Zoja R, Cazzaniga A, Cattaben, CM, Luvoni R. [Compendio di medicina legale e delle assicurazioni].[Book in Italian]. 14th Ed. Milan: Wolters Kluwer; 2018.
Manna A. [Reati contro la persona].[Book in Italian]. Turin: G. Giappichelli; 2007.
National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT). [Resident population census of January 1, 2019].[in Italian]. Available from: http://dati.istat.it/Index.aspx#
National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT). Reports of persons suspected by the police forces to have committed crime (2014-2018). Available from: http://dati.istat.it/Index.aspx?lang=en&SubSessionId=cbc95299-b483-49f4-8901-dd5387c97528
National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT). [Audizione del Presidente dell’Istituto nazionale di statistica Giorgio Alleva – Commissione parlamentare di inchiesta sul femminicidio, nonché su ogni forma di violenza di genere].[in Italian]. Rome, September 27, 2017. Available from: https://www.istat.it/it/archivio/203838
Ward C. Attitudes toward rape: Feminist and social psychological perspectives. London: Sage Publications; 1995.
Murray LK, Nguyen A, Cohen J. Child sexual abuse. Child Adolesc Psychiatric Clin N Am 2014;23:321–37. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chc.2014.01.003
Paine ML, Hansen DJ. Factors influencing children to self disclose sexual abuse. Clin Psychol Rev 2002;22:271-295. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0272-7358(01)00091-5
McLean I. The male victim of sexual assault. Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol 2013;27:39–46. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpobgyn.2012.08.006
Adams JA, Farst KJ, Kellogg ND. Interpretation of medical findings in suspected child sexual abuse: An update for 2018. J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol 2018;31:225-31. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpag.2017.12.011
Gallion HR, Milam LJ, Littrel LL. Genital findings in cases of child sexual abuse: Genital vs. vaginal penetration. J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol 2016;29:604-11. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpag.2016.05.001
Cattaneo C, Gentilomo A, Motta T, Ruspa M. [Abuso e violenza sessuale].[Book in Italian]. Milan: Edi-Ermes.
Adams JA, Harper K, Knudson S, Revilla J. Examination findings in legally confirmed child sexual abuse: It’s normal to be normal. Pediatrics 1994;94:310-7.
Edgardh K, Von Krogh G, Ormstad K. Adolescent girls investigated for sexual abuse: history, physical findings and legal outcome. Forensic Sci Int 1999;104:1-15. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0379-0738(99)00093-6
Johnson CF. Child sexual abuse. Lancet 2004;364:462–70. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(04)16771-8
Sanjeevi J, Houlihan D, Bergstrom KA, et al. A review of child sexual abuse: Impact, risk, and resilience in the context of culture. J Child Sex Abus 2018;27:622–41. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10538712.2018.1486934
Breiding MJ, Smith SG, Basile KC, et al. Prevalence and characteristics of sexual violence, stalking, and intimate partner violence victimization. National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, United States, 2011. MMWR Surveill Summ 2014;63:1–18.
Butler AC. Child sexual assault: Risk factors for girls. Child Abuse Negl 2013;37:643-52. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2013.06.009
Davies EA, Jones AC. Risk factors in child sexual abuse. J Forensic Psychiatr 2013;20:146-50.