Manhood, violence and coercive sexualities in men’s prisons: dynamics and consequences behind bars and beyond
By Sasha Gear | September 2009
Over the last few years the CSVR in Johannesburg has conducted research on sexual violence in men’s prisons. One striking feature of this work, which initially jolted my assumptions, has been the relative readiness of perpetrators of male same-sex rape in prison to report this violence to us as compared to the bashfulness of victims. It’s the context of the situation where perpetrators seem more willing to talk about their violence than victims - that I’ll consider in this article, showing how it is actually well explained by the social place that sexual violence occupies in prison. This focus which has pertinence far beyond prison walls as well, sheds light on particular notions of gender and sexuality and their relations to violence.
Keywords: South Africa
