New forms of sexual violence against women prevalent in Iceland
More than one-third of women in Iceland have experienced technology-facilitated sexual violence (TFSV) or other coercive sexual acts, and the proportion is even higher among younger women, according to a new study conducted by researchers at the University of Iceland and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
The study was published Oct. 15 in JAMA Network Open. Co-authors included Harvard Chan School’s Audrey Murchland and Rebecca Lawn, department associates in the Department of Epidemiology; Unnur Valdimarsdóttir, adjunct professor of epidemiology; and Karestan Koenen, professor of psychiatric epidemiology.
Awareness around TFSV—which includes receiving unwanted sexual images or messages, being asked for dates or sex despite repeated refusals, being recorded during sex without consent, and having sexual images shared online or with others—is rising, alongside awareness around evolving forms of sexual violence including stealthing (nonconsensual condom removal during sex), choking or suffocation during sex, and drugging. But data to understand the prevalence of these acts is lagging, according to the study authors—internationally, it’s scarce, and in Iceland, it’s been nonexistent.
To fill this gap, the researchers surveyed more than 14,000 women in Iceland, ranging in age from 23 to 74, about whether they had ever experienced eight specific instances of TFSV or other coercive sexual acts. They found that 34.5% of participants had experienced at least one form of sexual violence, including unwanted sexual images, persistent sexual requests, stealthing, sexual choking or suffocation, and suspected non-consensual drugging. Prevalence was substantially higher among younger women: Among those ages 23 to 34, more than half reported receiving unwanted sexual images or requests for such images, and more than one-third reported persistent requests for dates or sex despite refusals.
According to the researchers, their estimates regarding TFSV and other coercive sexual acts are consistent with—or higher than—similar data collected in Europe and the U.S. and raise alarm bells both in Iceland and beyond.
“In a country widely recognized for high levels of gender equality, the high prevalence [of sexual violence] observed—especially among younger women—underscores the need to recognize and monitor the evolving landscape of sexual violence globally,” they wrote.
Koenen added, “These findings are important because many of these newer forms of sexual harm are not captured in standard population surveys, meaning the overall burden of sexual violence may be underestimated. The results point to an urgent need for better measurement, prevention, public education, and support services that reflect how sexual violence is occurring today.”
