the Aisa pacific region is not "just to our north" Herbert. It includes around 50 countries as well   as Australia and New Zealand.

Lord Herbert wrote on Sep 12^th, 2013 at 9:13am:


Asianized? The report's findings are about developing countries. There was no mention on Lateline of Japan, for example, or Korea, Singapore, or other developed Asia/Pacific countries.

Women in Papua New Guinea were found to be at greatest risk. "More than 80 per cent of men in Bougainville said they had hurt or sexually violated their partners or a stranger.".

This is a very interesting topic, Herbie, and I'm glad you've raised it. It's also about attitudes in developing countries to rape/sexual assault. Different countries and cultures have such different acceptance of rape/sexual assault in their communities. How can you mix different cultures from Bougainville to Sri Lanka in the 1 in 4 men statistic?

It sounds like you're using this report as a justification to stop Asian immigration. The report, however, is more likely to have its origins as a justification for more aid to women's NGOs in the developing world.

Is this what you'd like to see too, Herbie?

Karnal wrote on Sep 13^th, 2013 at 12:57pm:


Precisely. Well spotted.

That's why Australia is referred to as the 'antipodes'.

Enjoy

We are a European country situated in the southern hemisphere very much as Israel is a European country incongruously situated in the Middle East.

We are not a part of Asia by any stretch of the imagination.

Rampant rape seems to be a stereo-type among the aboriginal peoples of the Asia-Pacific region.

Herbie, it would seem that many of these jiggaboos also have monarchs and westminster parliamentary systems and European political traditions and even flags. What do you think is the cause of such high sexual assault figures?

Also, and I think this is really important, what assumptions and criteria do you think the researchers used?

In the developed world, there's a popular statistic: 1 in 4 women have been sexually abused. I've often asked what the criteria for sexual abuse was in this common statistic. Does it, for example, include sexual harassment, which can also be included as a form of sexual abuse? I've never received an answer to this.

I doubt very much that 1 in 4 Australian women have been physically sexually abused or raped, but what do I know?

What do you know about the study you're discussing? Do you have a link?

UnSubRocky wrote on Sep 16^th, 2013 at 5:37pm:


True. It's telling that the official language of Israel is Hebrew, a Semitic language as opposed to the European Yiddish.

Besides, the occupants of Israel come from everywhere - there are plenty of American Israelis, quite a few Russians, and even some Ethiopians.

From what I can tell, Herbie's using Israel's level of development to describe it as European. I wonder if Herbie thinks Dubai in the UAE is European, or Singapore - both rich, developed, international trading cities.

The common denominator in all these countries is wealth - the phenomenon the study seems to be describing. Rich countries that can afford decent education and legal systems have less rape and sexual assault. Poor countries that can't end up in studies like this.

Sexual assault is not particular to Asian countries, it's prevalent everywhere. The only thing that stops it is the economic empowerment of women - something Herbie, if I'm not mistaken, is not too keen to discuss.