Almost half of Serbian youth have their first sexual relations between the ages of 15 and 18, and a quarter of the girls surveyed claim to have experienced some kind of sexual violence, according to the Alternative Report on the Position and Needs of Young People compiled by the Serbian Youth Organisation (KOMS).
The research also showed that 47 per cent of young people had sexual intercourse for the first time between the ages of 15 and 18, and when asked whether they had been victims of coerced sex, 17 per cent of them responded positively.
“That number rises to 25% in the case of young women. These figures are also higher than in 2021, when the cases of coerced sex amounted to 13% for girls ages 15 and 18 and 21% for young women. These figures are certainly worrying, especially considering that, in percentage terms, they have increased compared to last year,’ KOMS has assessed.
When it comes to gender equality and the idea that it is more difficult for young women to find a job than young men, on a scale from 1 to 5, girls gave a score of 3.79, while boys gave a score of 2.63.
Furthermore, there are stark differences of opinion regarding the statement that “it is more difficult for young women to get involved in politics because of the existing prejudices”. On a scale from 1 to 5, women agreed with the statement, giving it a score of 4.12. Young men, on the other hand, gave a score of 2.94, but certainly, most think it is more difficult for females in politics.
Furthermore, there is little difference in opinion between men and women regarding women sharing in the responsibility for being raped.
Men agree with this statement with a score of 1.64 (on a scale from 1 to 5 – 1 being women should not be held responsible for rape and 5 they should be held responsible). Similarly, young women gave this statement a score of 1.24, the research states.
(Novi Magazin, 27.07.2022)
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