Citation

Beirne P, Hall J, Grills C, Moore T. J. Forensic Leg. Med. 2011; 18(7): 313-316.

Affiliation

University of Ulster, Child Abuse and Rape Enquiries (CARE), PSNI, Belfast, Northern Ireland; School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Ulster, Room W1055, CMB, Cromore Road, Coleraine, Northern Ireland, BT52 1SA, UK.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jflm.2011.06.010

PMID

21907935

Abstract

In Northern Ireland 1 in every 454 women of 13 years and over during 2008/09 reported to police that they had suffered a sexual assault.(1,2) This study considered the possibility that women may be more likely to be victims of sexual assault during the fertile phase of their reproductive cycle. Evolutionary psychology suggests that women would have suffered more negative consequences if sexually assaulted when fertile and that specific psychological mechanisms may have evolved in women to combat male coercion. Female behaviours towards men vary across the reproductive cycle and men's behaviour towards women may vary also as a result of changes in female hormones. Hormones play a major role in producing the characteristic cyclical changes throughout a woman's reproductive life. This study is the first study of female hormone influences on sexual assaults. The data for the study was collated retrospectively from the records of 105 females with regular, spontaneous menstrual cycles. These females alleged recent sexual assault and were examined in Belfast during the period 2002-2009. The study concluded that young girls in the middle of their cycle, i.e. the fertile phase, were most at risk of sexual assault. It is possible that both sexes are sensitive to signs, albeit subtle behavioural signs, indicating high risk of conception.

Language: en