Sexual Violence in Mexico

Sexual violence: Mexico's daily bread

Sexual abuse is a severe social and health issue in Mexico. As reported by Arturo Angel (2016) for Animal Político only 3 of 100 attacks in Mexico are punished by the law (para. 1). Approximately 112,000 women are raped every year (Navarro Ramírez, 2013, para. 1), and in the last couple of years, this number has increased without control. That is why Mexico ranks first place in sexual violence. Also, why it remains one of the most unreported crimes and one of the highest abuse of women. This essay will examine some reasons why women fail to report a rape or assault to the authorities. Also, it will discuss how it can be preventable and what the government is doing to make these numbers decrease.

Definition

Sexual violence is a significant social and public health problem in Mexico. Most of the perpetrators are relatives who abused them at home. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2014), sexual abuse is defined as "a sexual act committed against someone without that person's freely given consent" (para. 1). It is divided into different types, such as completed or attempted forced penetration of a victim, unwanted sexual contact, abusive sexual contact without penetration, non-contact sexual abuse (harassment and voyeurism), among others (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2014, para.1).

What history has showed us is that rapes and sexual assaults were believed to be perpetrated against women by strangers, but current data shows that women are much more likely to be sexually attacked by the men with they are familiarized. As stated by the National Report on Violence and Health (SSA 2006), 13.7% of all women who were forced to have sex ever in their life in Mexico said that the attack occurred when they were younger than ten years and 65% between 10 and 20 years of age. As told before, 70% of the perpetrators are relatives who abused them at home. The father in 7.2% of cases, the stepfather at 8.2%, some other familiar men, such as uncles, cousins or people known as neighbors, compadres, etc., in 55.1%; and the boyfriend at 3.4%, according to the report (para. 5). This means the ones that commit this kind of violence are people that the victims trust more.

Sexual violence can trigger mental disorders such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), personality disorders, isolation, mood swings and evasion of reality. Many of the victims try to commit suicide and start self-harming, more if the aggressor continues doing it. Rape with more violence leaves lesions in the sexual organs and profound psychological trauma with repercussions in the sexual life, like the involuntary memories typical of the PTSD. Survivors, being in a later erotic event, often remember the attack and cannot surrender or live a full relationship. Cognitive behavioral, psychological therapy helps the rape survivor to modify thought structures and give new meaning to the fact, to make it non-painful. Patients can improve over a period of one to three years, depending on the person and the situation they lived.

Expository

Sexual assault reports continue growing in 2017. According to an investigation made by Angel (2017), during the firsts 180 days of this year, 35.8 cases of rape were reported daily, a number that represents an increase of 6.2% compared to the same period in 2016. 16,631 sexual offenses were published in the first half of 2017, of which 6,444 were rape cases. That indicates that 92.4 reports were filed for sex crimes each day, representing one example every 16 minutes on average. If we only look at the violation, the standard release is 35.8 cases, an average of one report every 40 minutes. The state with the highest number of stories is Baja California, where the sex offense rate reaches more than 60 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, almost three times the national average. The next entities that follow it with similar levels are Chihuahua, with a rate of 57 reports per one hundred thousand inhabitants, and Baja California Sur with an average of 55 to 56 cases. The fourth entity with the highest incidence of sexual violence is Morelos with a rate of 43 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, about double the national average, and in fifth place is Durango with almost 38 cases on average.

According to information provided by the entities to the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System (2017), between January 2007 and December 2016, 140,434 cases were opened for sexual violations against minors and women. Since 2007, more than 12,000 assaults have been reported annually, and that figure has not fallen in the following years. The year of highest incidence in the last decade is 2011, with 15,746 inquiries (para.7).

Cause and effect

Sexual assault is a crime that in most cases go unpunished

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