Laura Terragni: Sexual violence in Italy

From 1996:

"SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN ITALY: IS THE GEOGRAPHIC/CULTURAL CONTEXT RELEVANT?

Sexual violence in Italy is a phenomenon which has only recently become a social issue. The most important characteristic is that it is strictly related to the geographic/cultural context. Not only does the rate of reported sexual violence differ at a regional level, but also the kind of violence, the characteristics of victims and aggressors, and the places and circumstances where the violence takes place.

The data I will present are part of a wider research project. I will illustrate the characteristics of the violence reported to the police in three big Italian cities (Milan, Venice and Naples) in 1988. Besides some common traits, such as the high incidence of sexual abuse within the family (incest), the three towns show characteristics of their own. In Milan the rate of ‘stranger rape’ is higher. In Venice the rate of sexual assault committed against tourists is considerable. In Naples the incidence is still high (although much higher in the past) of a fiance being brought to court for having had sexual intercourse with a girl he refused to marry. Further research will illuminate other important differences and characteristics of sexual violence in the Italian context.

Laura Terragni studied sociology at the University of Milan, got her PhD in Trento and is currently working as an assistant at the University of Padova. She has studied violence against women, domestic violence and sexual violence for many years. She has published articles in Italian journals and is now publishing a book on sexual violence in Italy. She holds seminars for activists and is involved in the Sexual Violence Centre recently opened in Milan. She is promoting the first Italian academic forum on violence against women."