Sexual Coercion: Young Men's Experiences as Victims and Perpetrators

Published by the Population Council India, this 4-page paper is part of a set of three briefs consolidating the main themes addressed at a global consultative meeting on non-consensual sex among young people in developing countries held in New Delhi in September 2003. The meeting was organised by the Population Council, India in collaboration with World Health Organisation/ Department of Reproductive Health and Research, Switzerland, and Family Health International/YouthNet, USA. Participants included researchers, legal analysts, representatives from community-based NGOs, policy makers, and young people themselves.

From the Introduction
Available evidence suggests that a considerable number of young people experience non-consensual sex across the world. However research has mainly concentrated on the experiences of young girls and their perspectives of perpetrators of violence. Little is known about coercion among young males as victims or perpetrators.

Case studies presented at an international consultative meeting in September 2003 in New Delhi challenged the common assumption that only women are victims of violence, and shed light on the experiences of young males as victims of sexual coercion. These case studies for the first time also discussed the perspectives of young males as perpetrators of violence against young women.

The evidence comes from small-scale studies from Goa, India; Ibadan, Nigeria; Leon, Nicaragua; Mexico City, Mexico; Phnom Penh, Cambodia and selected settings in Peru and South Africa. The findings therefore are instructive but not representative. Common themes drawn from these diverse studies and key issues are discussed in this brief.

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