DFSA is not an issue just in Canada and USA. It occurs all around the world and unfortunately, there is a lack of resources for the victims in many countries.
What trends are similar in all countries?
In Canada, USA, The UK, Australia, and India among others, the most common drug for DFSA is alcohol. Importantly, most of the other drugs that are involved in DFSA are used with alcohol, via drink spiking. Taking this into account, its clear why the rates of DFSA with alcohol are higher than with other drugs. It is also important to note that alcohol easier to obtain and the drinking culture mentioned in the ‘drugs, alcohol, and consent’ page creates opportunities for perpetrators where the victim can not easily prove their case.
Rohypnol is also very common in most countries around the world, and in fact, in many clubs in India the drug is sold in bars despite governmental mandates. Ketamine and GHB are also common in many countries though to a lesser degree.
A study published in 2020 looked at “The Prevalence rate of Sexual Violence Worldwide” and found that sexual violence was more prevalent among women than men in all countries across the world. The study found that China, North Korea, and Taiwan displayed the most increase in prevalence of sexual violence over the time period of 1990 – 2017. Bermuda, Guyana, Mexico, Nigeria, and Saint Lucia were found to have the largest decline during this time period compared to other countries, though the decline isn’t found to be remarkable in any way.
DFSA prevalence has not been specifically analyzed for trends around the world and this displays a detrimental gap in knowledge. Accounting to the fact that most countries have attempted to develop safety strategies and changes in societal perspectives in the fight against sexual violence, it would be immensely helpful to see if these changes have affected the rates of DFSA around the world.
Check out the links below for more information.
For a specific comparison for the rates of rape between different countries please click the link below.
Contributed By: Sri Gunturi
References
- https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-020-09926-5
- https://ejmcm.com/article_5486_d21823bfde2f230c149ad7da01e4cb04.pdf
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29738993/
- https://aifs.gov.au/sites/default/files/publication-documents/acssa_briefing2.pdf
- https://www.emcdda.europa.eu/attachements.cfm/att_50544_EN_TDS_sexual_assault.pdf