MEDIA RELEASE
Cheryllyn Dudley
23 April 2013
Democracy, we know, can mean different things to different people just as freedom – being both physical and emotional - can be experienced in varying degrees, at different times, in different circumstances and in some areas of our lives while not in others!
South Africa, like many countries, is a violent country and the violence has been part of all of South African culture - columnist Paul Berkowitz comes to mind here as he refers to the anger and violence in our society as ‘toxic’. At Parliament we have spent many hours discussing the broad prevalence of rape for example and its effect on women and one thing is certain, we are not going to diminish the problem without a paradigm shift in our thinking – a shift to valuing and respecting not only women but human life, valuing babies, children and men. Rape, you see, does not only affect woman – it affects babies, children and men too.
Our culture, like many others, celebrates violence, even our heroes are violent. One observation is that in general, men even more than women, are ill equipped for either effective communication or conflict resolution and statistics show most violence to be committed by men. One thing that is almost completely unacknowledged, however, is the existence of male rape or rape of men. The importance for male victims of this violent crime to also be considered and the effects on them taken seriously, has been almost completely overlooked.
No matter the character of the man, rape can be extremely traumatic and difficult to work through. As a group, male rape victims often get minimal services and support and legal systems are often ill equipped to deal with this type of crime. Dianne Steven, a journalist and prison counsellor says: rape is a physically and psychologically damaging evil act that causes similar incalculable damage and lifelong psychological disturbance be it forced on males or females.
A major problem facing male victims is a sense of vulnerability, damaged self-image and ‘loss of manhood’. Male survivors are disturbed by the notion that they could not protect themselves and were somehow conquered, even if there were many attackers. Stevens, who has written more than most on this subject says: despite indications that male on male rape is widespread she has not found any reports of males charged or convicted of raping males. Rapes on males are under-reported compared to rape and sexual assault on females as male survivors are even less likely to report the crime and seek help.
Stevens says that boys are often not taught their rights nor are they taught how to respect the rights of others, they are not taught how to say “no” to abusive clergy, scout-masters, coaches, and other potential perpetrators. In mobilising society towards consolidating democracy and freedom the ACDP calls on the Church, the Community, and Traditional leaders to take the initiative in guiding and ensuring young boys and men become role models for the next generation.
The ACDP also calls on the Minister of Police and the Minister of Correctional Services to ensure that training in recognising and dealing with victims who have been violated in this manner is included in mandatory training; that measures are taken to ensure that this horrendous crime is taken seriously; and that a culture of non-acceptance of such abuses is cultivated and enforced.
A Medical Research Council study shows that almost 10% of South African men have experienced sexual violence by another man – and a survey published in BioMed Central’s International Journal for Equity in Health shows 44 percent of 18-year-olds said they had been forced to have sex at some time; 33 percent had been abused by males, 41 percent by females and 27 percent had been raped by both males and females.
